Bar Stories
by ellaygee
Summary: While having a night out in Lestallum, the boys reminisce about an earlier adventure. This is some angst and hurt/comfort sandwiched between slices of fluff with some humor sauce. mostly pre-game, slight spoilers about Prompto's past. wow guys as the updates come, it's getting super dark.
1. Chapter 1

**So, this one will predate A House is Not a Home, but is not actually a 'prequel'. No need to read the other one first, but you should because it's awesome. Since the early indication on the characters says that Ignis and Gladiolus were suspicious of our favorite chocobo loving friend at first—thinking him a bad influence—I thought I would explore that a little. Also, we're gonna go ahead and say the official drinking age in Insomnia is 18. (holy crap, guys, have you been on AO3?** **They are effing brutal over there.** **Glorious.) I'm still working on another Status! story, and am maaaaybe planning a sequel to A House... I mean, I'm interested in a sequel, I dunno about you guys. This one should be 3-4 fun angsty chapters. Anyway, they're not mine, I don't own this stuff, but I love it.** **On with the story!**

The bar was on the outskirts of Lestallum, near the parking area for the city. It wasn't quite run down, but it wasn't quite on the up and up, either. Most of the patrons were either hunters or plant workers. But, it had a certain charm, and served a variety of alcohol.

Noctis and Gladiolus convinced Ignis to spare some funds so the four of them could go out and let off a little steam. It hadn't been too difficult; they had recently completed a series of six hunts that had left them all a bit stressed and worse for wear. Even the adviser agreed that a night out would boost morale.

Ignis and Gladiolus were posted up at a corner booth; Ignis working on his third glass of wine, and Gladiolus on his fifth beer. The younger two were currently playing a game of pool and being rather rambunctious with each other.

"How many do you think they've had?" Ignis inquired of his companion, inclining his head towards the pool tables. Gladiolus watched them for a second, a vague smile on his face.

"More than they should, probably. But, I say let 'em get good and trashed. They deserve it. We all do." Gladiolus winked and tapped the side of the adviser's wine glass.

Ignis lifted it in salutations, and drained it, signaling the server to have it refilled.

After she left the table with a wink and a swish of her hips, the two older men lapsed into a comfortable silence. It was shattered quickly, however, by the uproarious whooping of Prompto carrying on across the bar.

"Boom, Noct! I won! You know the rules, bro!"

"Are you serious?" The prince, just as raucous; "You don't expect me to actually—"

Prompto, growing ever louder and gaining the attention of several patrons, cut the prince off with a wild wave of his arms. "Oh, no you don't. You know very well you would have held me to it if you'd won."

Relenting with a grin, Noctis held his arms out to the side and spun around dramatically. Prompto immediately leapt onto his back, and the prince hitched him up and gave the jubilant blonde a piggy back ride around the bar, laughing and declaring him the King of Kicking Noct's Ass. They made their way back to the booth, bumping and subsequently apologizing to several other customers on their way, eventually collapsing in a tangle of limbs and laughter.

Gladiolus reached down, pulled Noctis up by the collar and sat him in the booth next to him, while Ignis more politely helped Prompto up on his side.

Once situated, Prompto thrust a fist in the air, yelling "Shots!"

"I sec…ssecond that!" Noctis grinned, his face already flushed with the amount of alcohol consumed.

Ignis was about to protest, but Gladiolus was already signaling to the server, who came and sat a shot glass in front of each man. "Just steer into it, Iggy."

Sighing, Ignis followed the warriors lead and downed the alcohol, hissing at the heat of it and slammed down the glass just like the others.

He suddenly rocked to the left as Prompto slung his arm around the adviser's slender shoulders. "Hey, so hey Iggy. So, hey I saw that there was this…um…there was this tourna…troundernet.. Tournament tomorrow. A, uh, like a pool thing. I was thinking maybe we could enter it and get some—"

"NO."

Prompto jerked back as both Gladiolus and Ignis yelled in unison. "Wha? Whad I say?"

Ignis summoned his most sober look, fixing Prompto with a fiery gaze. "Do you not remember the last time you thought it would be a good idea to enter one of those things?"

Prompto's face reddened considerably more and he looked at the table. "Aw c'mon Iggy, that was soooo long ago. I *hiccup* I'm not a kid anymore."

Noctis lifted a lazy hand, waving it between the two. "What're you talking 'bout?"

Gladiolus laughed loudly for a second, reaching across the table to slap Ignis on the shoulder. "Oooh, Iggy, looks like you broke your promise. If I remember correctly, you owe me 100 gil."

Ignis rolled his eyes. "I think that bet can be called off by this point. Surely there is a statute of limitations on stupidity."

"Heyyy…" Prompto pouted, then abruptly grinned, reaching for Gladiolus' beer and sliding it towards himself. The larger man helped him, pushing it from the other side.

"What's everyone talking about?" Noctis was definitely interested, now. He leaned forward wrapping his hands around one of the empty glasses in front of him, eyeballing it suspiciously.

"Well," Gladio began; "You see as it turns out, Iggy here wasn't too fond of Prompto when you first started bringing him around."

"I dunno why," Prompto whined, squeezing the bespectacled brunette in another half hug. "I'm freaking delateful. Daylightful. I'm freaking awesome."

"That you are." Gladiolus reached across the table and ruffled his blonde locks playfully.

Ignis cleared his throat pointedly, his index finger delicately circling the top of his wine glass. "If I recall correctly, I believe you characterized our young friend as a 'punk ass boyband reject', along with a few other choice phrases."

Prompto snorted indignantly, slapping his hands to his chest over his heart. "You wound me, big guy. You wound me."

Meanwhile, Noctis nearly fell out of his seat in a fit of hysterics, repeating "Iggy said the ass word" over and over. Once he finally got himself under control he leaned back in his seat and gently kicked Ignis under the table. "Alright, out with it. Tell me this story."

"Wait! We need something before he begins!" Prompto smiled at the prince and waggled his eyebrows.

"Shots?" Noctis replied.

"Shots!" Prompto hollered, and the server promptly brought over another round.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

XVXV 5 YEARS PRIOR XVXV

Gladiolus sighed to himself. He was sitting in one of the more rough-and-tumble bars near the slums of Insomnia, waiting for Cor to arrive. He'd been nursing a beer for about thirty minutes, and it was little more than backwash and foam at this point. Grumbling to himself, he pulled out his phone in the off chance that he'd missed a call or text.

Oh.

He did.

::Can't make it::

Gladiolus rolled his eyes at the ever-informative marshal of the Crownsguard. The man had asked him specifically to meet him here to discuss certain security details in regards to the prince.

He had a feeling he knew exactly which detail he was going to discuss. As of late, it seemed that the young prince had made himself a new friend. Considering this was almost unheard of for the grumpy teen, both he and Ignis were suspicious. Well, mostly Ignis.

Lots of kids approached the prince, and he'd gone to a few parties and gatherings over the years, but neither the adviser nor shield could recall him ever having actual 'friends'. Noctis had always preferred to be alone, citing that other kids were boring.

Then, all of a sudden, this bouncy yellow-haired ball of aggravation had burst on the scene. He and Noctis had been thick as thieves ever since that first day of high school, and the prince had slowly started bringing him around the others. Now, he was a semi regular fixture in their non-official outings.

If he was being honest with himself, Gladiolus actually kind of liked the kid. Or at least, he found him to be amusing. Especially when Prompto got under a certain uptight adviser's skin enough to get an actual reaction, which he and Noctis had ceased being able to do long ago.

But, there was just something about the freckled youth that set Gladiolus' alarms to a low alert. He was almost too happy; too helpful. It was obvious he was working hard to ingratiate himself to the prince and his entourage. It was also obvious that he was hiding something. This made him hard to trust, and the shield did not want anyone around Noctis that he wasn't 100% on.

And then there was Ignis, who was especially upset that the prince had been missing afternoon lessons in politicking in favor of going to the arcade or other less princely activities. Gladiolus at turns both admonished him for being so hard on Noctis, and agreed with him that he should be putting in more effort.

Gladiolus laughed as he downed the last bitter swallows of his beer, grimacing at the taste. The image of a near spluttering Ignis confiding in him just how he felt about 'allowing the prince to run around will-nilly' played through his head. He pulled out his wallet to throw some cash down on the table, and turned towards the front door.

He froze when he saw a familiar blonde head in the crowd, ducking and dodging its way towards the billiards room. Gladiolus followed stealthily behind, making sure to keep the boy's back to him at all times. He took position in the corner near the juke box, pulling up the hood on his coat and slouching back against the wall to appear shorter in case Prompto happened to glance in his direction. Gladiolus could barely see him through the billowing smoke.

Prompto was dressed in a green tank-top and jeans, and had slicked back his hair in a hilarious attempt to look older. He bellied up to the bar and ordered a drink from the heavily tattooed man behind the counter. The bartender grabbed his ID, scrutinizing it, then him, and then the ID again, finally slapping it back down on the counter and pouring a drink. The blond head nodded and grabbed the beer, heading over to a dark corner. He situated himself facing away from the door, and started fidgeting with his phone.

Gladiolus couldn't believe his eyes. He knew for a fact the kid was only fifteen, and he didn't look a day over twelve. That must be one hell of a fake ID. His mood darkened at the implications of this when it came to the prince.

Scowling, all thoughts of giving this kid a chance flew from his mind as Gladio pulled his own phone out and hit number 3 on his speed dial.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Ignis groaned to himself at the insistent chime that abruptly disturbed his meditation. It was after 10 PM by a long shot, and in his opinion that is the last acceptable hour to make or receive non emergency calls. He wilted a little upon seeing it was Gladiolus, and answered in a more or less neutral tone.

"Sorry to wake you, Iggy."

Ignis cut his eyes at the name. He had not been fond of it as a small child, and thought it done away with by the time Noctis was in his teens and the future king stopped using the childish moniker. But, that …new friend… of Noctis' had started calling him that not long ago, and the other two boys followed suit.

"Not to worry, I have not yet retired for the evening. What can I do for you at this late hour, Gladio?" His tone walked the line between 'I'm ready to help if something is wrong' and 'this had better not be a waste of my time'.

"I'm at that bar Cor wanted me to meet him at, but he didn't show."

Ignis huffed. "My apologies, but I am not quite of drinking age, and if I were, I'm sure I would not do so in that sort of establishment."

"Would you shut up and listen for a sec, Iggy? I think I know why he wanted to meet me here. Looks like that kid Noct has been hanging around with has himself a fake ID. He's up here, now, sitting by himself in the corner."

Well, that did pique his interest. "Do you plan on confronting him?"

"That's why I was calling you. My first instinct is to go grab him by the scruff of his neck and drag him outta here. But, I don't know. There's something off about this kid; I thought I'd get your opinion."

"Hmmm, well Noctis is quite defensive of his young friend. Any time I try to bring up the subject of being more careful about him, he rolls his eyes and gets himself in a tizzy. Maybe it would be best to observe his actions and then we can discuss this matter further. At a more decent hour, preferably."

He disconnected the call with Gladiolus, and sat down at his meticulously neat desk. Switching on the lamp, he pulled out the file he'd been collecting on his charge's new friend.

Prompto Argentum

Like the prince, he had recently turned 15, and was in his first year of high school. Due to educational equity laws, the prestigious public schools in the noble district that the prince had attended over the years had to accept a certain number of students from the poorer areas of Insomnia, and this boy happened to be chosen during each lottery. His grades were good, but not great. He wasn't part of any clubs or organizations. In fact, his only extracurricular activity had been a submission to a photo contest for the school paper, in which he came in second place.

Ignis pulled a copy of the photo out of the file, holding it up to the light. It was of the school itself, shrouded in early morning fog. It wasn't his cup of tea, but he could see that it was good in a melancholy sort of way.

He placed the photo back in the folder and continued with the paperwork; though he'd committed the information to memory days ago.

The boy was adopted at around twelve months of age. Ignis wondered idly if Prompto was aware of the fact, since it happened when he was so young. There was no mention of his birth parents. As far as the official record was concerned, he didn't exist before the adoption papers were filed. Ignis had done a lot of digging, but was unable to come up with more than that.

The Argentums were bland as far as people were concerned. Neither had a criminal history. Both had been at their respective places of employment for at least ten years; she within the school system and he within the transit authority—both thankless low-to-mid earning positions that required a lot of time. All evidence pointed to Prompto being the proverbial 'latchkey kid'. This gave him a lot of time to distract Noctis from his studies.

Which is exactly what he intended to talk to King Regis about in the morning.

Ignis readied himself for bed, switching off his light and lying down. He glared blearily at his phone a while later when Gladiolus' text came through.

::He didn't do anything. Just people-watched. Barely touched the beer. Went straight home.::

That night, Ignis dreamt of a never ending pile of laundry and the sinister laughter of two certain teens


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! As usual, I super appreciate the favorites/follows/reviews! If I don't respond, please don't be offended; I'm still getting used to this whole thing and most of your inboxes are full ;) Chapter three (that's where all the action is) should be up by the end of the weekend, then on to more stuff! Another status feature is on the backburner, a sequel to A House... is floating out there developing in my brain. Thanks for reading! No, seriously, I mean it. Thanks. Don't own, don't sue, please! On with the story!**

King Regis shuffled some papers around on his desk, adding his signature to a few of them. Across the imposing oak desk, young Ignis Scientia sat primly in his chair. His posture was rigid and his sandy hair was perfectly styled and his clothing crisp and peofessional. He politely stared at the desktop, waiting for the king to speak. The picture of patience.

Setting his pen to the side, Regis leaned back in his black leather chair and steepled fingers beneath his chin. He regarded the boy-almost a man, really-across from him thoughtfully for a few moments before beginning.

He'd known Ignis most of the teen's life, and Regis held him in the highest esteem. Though more or less raised alongside his own son, Ignis' upbringing had been quite different than the prince's. He'd been groomed from a very young age to be everything he could be to Noctis; friend, caretaker, confidante. Though only seventeen, he was worlds more mature and collected than most teens—most adults really—even if he was inflicted with an occasional bout of petulance.

Like right now, for instance.

"What brings you to my office this morning, Ignis?" Regis had a feeling he knew, but he wanted to see exactly how the teen would broach the subject.

"I'm concerned about Noctis, your highness."

"And what about Noctis concerns you?"

Ignis pursed his lips, looking a bit lost on how to continue. Finally, taking a deep breath, he decided to start in order of annoyance. "The prince has not been taking any of his lessons seriously as of late. He has skipped many training sessions with Gladiolus. Some of his grades have been less than stellar this term. He refuses to even consider joining in any school activities. He's been keeping company with a commoner boy by the name of Prompto Argentum, whom I believe to be the main reason for this sudden decline in his attitude…" he petered off as he noticed the slight smile playing about the king's eyes. He cleared his throat and nervously shoved his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

Regis lifted one regal eyebrow. "Is that all?"

Ignis was going to say more, but wisely remained quiet and simply nodded at the king.

"Thank you for bringing these things to my attention. I will speak to him in regards to his training and various lessons. Perhaps I have been going easier on him than I should. But, most of this seems to be par for the course for your average teenager."

Ignis was about to protest, but closed his mouth again as Regis raised a hand.

"Why is it that you are so adamant about Noctis joining these clubs and afterschool programs?"

The teen floundered for a moment, nearly sputtering at the new course of questioning. "Well, sir, he's always…Noctis keeps himself isolated. He doesn't participate in anything voluntarily, has no friends—"

"Weren't you just complaining that he's been keeping company with this Argentum boy?"

Ignis snorted derisively, but quickly rearranged his features back into neutrality at the king's dark look. "I am concerned that he is not the right element for the prince to surround himself with."

"Cor Leonis himself did the background check for the boy. It came back clean other than a few detentions at school, all of which were for non-violent offenses. What is it about him that you find so antagonizing?"

Ignis frowned in thought. "I can't quite put my finger on it. But, sir, you have to admit that it is more prudent for the prince to start making the right sorts of connections. Just being a Caelum is not enough, he has to start cultivating real relationships with the other nobles his age-"

A cloud of despair darkened the king's visage for a few moments, and Ignis stuttered to a stop.

"Ignis. You know I have always wanted Noctis to lead as normal a life as he could. Being a king is not easy in and of itself. And, my son has far more resting on his shoulders than any of his predecessors. I want him to enjoy his life as much as he can before the weight of the crown and the ring drag him down." He couldn't keep the mist from his eyes as he spoke, and the bespectacled youth before him glanced away, obviously uncomfortable at seeing his king in such a vulnerable state.

"You know," he continued quietly, "Noctis has told me a bit about his new friend. He says the boy is quite the amateur photographer and has an affinity for animals. He's apparently very good at video games, and never lets Noctis win. much to his frustration."

Ignis chewed the inside of his lip, the small movement the only betrayal of his inner turmoil.

"It's been a long time since I've seen my son laugh so freely, Ignis. There was a time when I thought he'd be lost to that dark loneliness that he keeps within. But, now….unless you can provide me with good reasons why he shouldn't be keeping company with the Argentum boy, I will not stop him."

Regis relented a little when Ignis looked down in shame, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. He'd like to take more time to comfort the obviously distressed young man, but he had other matters to attend to. "If there is nothing else…?"

"No, your majesty. There is nothing else." Ignis quickly stood, cringing as the chair scraped the floor, an audible squeak echoing around the chamber. He bowed once, and quickly made his retreat.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Prompto was startled so much by the ringing of his phone on that Saturday morning that he fell from his bed in a mass of tangled sheets. He reached up and slapped his hand around blindly on the nightstand until it came in contact with the offending device and he fumbled with it and the sheets, finally answering it just before voicemail would have picked it up.

On the other end, Noctis' light laughter echoed. "What are you doing still asleep? Aren't you usually jogging at this time of morning?"

Furrowing his brow, he pulled the phone away from his ear and checked the time. 9:37 . Great.

Battery life: 32%. Even better.

The blond moaned, not realizing he'd slept through the early morning. This was going to set his whole day back by hours.

"Prompto? You fall back asleep, there, buddy?"

"Ah, no… no…" He grunted as he finally started making the effort to sit up and disentangle himself from the sheets. "What's up, Noct? Kinda early for you to be out of bed yourself, isn't it?"

Noctis let out a noise that was something between a whine and a groan. "Gladio thought it would be a good idea to come wake me up for an early training session. Or, as I like to call it, an early kick Noct's ass session."

"Oh, man, that bad, huh?" Prompto's tone was sympathetic as he finally managed to get up from the floor just to flop on his back in the bed.

Noctis stifled a laugh. "I'm pretty sure my contusions have concussions."

"Aww you poor prince. So, not that I'm not happy to hear from you and all, but why the early wakeup call?" Prompto lazily stretched out his leg muscles as he talked, knowing he was going to have to skip his usual running warm up.

"Oh, Ignis has some kinda bug up his ass and has been pestering me for the last hour to invite you to out to lunch."

Then, in the background, Ignis stated clearly: "I do not pester. I insist. Also, do refrain from cursing; it is unbecoming of someone of your station."

Both boys laughed at that.

Prompto let out a heartfelt sigh. "Well, I certainly hate to turn down an invitation from the illustrious Iggy, but I gotta. Sorry, bro, got plans."

"And what could be better than joining the future king, his bodyguard, and his cook-ah! Ow, dammit Gladio that hurt! Fine, the future king, his shield and his adviser for lunch?"

"Hey, now, I didn't say better, I just said plans. Sorry. Uh, I better get going."

"Wait, what about going to the arcade later? You didn't forget, did you?"

"Nah, of course not. I'll meet you at Penny's at four. See you."

Prompto quickly disconnected before his friend could get anything else out. He hated turning Noctis down, but he really needed to get in some practice. He threw on pants and a tee shirt and strapped on his running shoes. He may as well run to where he was going, since he wouldn't have the time to go the dog park he usually went to.

He set himself a decent pace; letting the pounding of his feet lull his nervousness away. He had to focus. Tonight was going to be important.

His mom had been in Altissia for about a month, now, fixing some kind of insane clerical errors in their school systems there and installing new computer programs that would help make sure it didn't happen again. His dad…well his dad had been gone about three months now, repairing the monorail systems that had been damaged in a Nif attack near Lestallum.

He'd run out of money in his account six days ago, and was now working on the savings in his prized moogle bank, which was supposed to be reserved for a new telescope lens for his camera.

When he'd first run out of money, he had messaged both his parents. After a few days had gone by and neither of his parents had replied, he cut down to two meals and no snacks in order to preserve as much of the food as he could. He figured he had another week—maybe two if he cut down further to one meal a day—of supplies left before he'd be in real trouble.

But, he didn't want it to get to that point. This not being the first time his parents had forgotten about him, he knew sooner rather than later was best to start preparing.

He'd been out jogging three days ago when he saw the sign that spelled his salvation. There was a bar running a single-player pool/darts tournament.

That was something he could do. His highschool had a pool table and dart board in the student lounge, and he dominated at both. He was relatively confident he could win that prize money.

That night, he'd carefully rationed out his remaining gil; setting aside portions he knew he'd have to spend to fit in at the bar; he couldn't very well not be drinking in an establishment built around booze. Though, he knew it would be mostly for show, so he only had to have enough for one beer each night he went. He set a larger portion aside for the arcade adventure with Noctis and company, though admittedly it was still not much. Noctis usually insisted on paying for the games, but he wanted to make sure to have enough to cover himself anyway. It seemed the poorer Prompto got the more he felt bad when his friend paid his way; almost like he was taking advantage of his friend's wealth and position.

He'd shoved those thoughts aside, though. With the leftover gil, he could just afford the entry fee and still have enough left to last him a few more days, even if he lost.

But he wouldn't lose. He was Prompto Fucking Argentum, and he was going to win. He had to. It was just too perfect for him not to.

So, he'd made a deal with the weekend janitor at the school to let him in to practice for a few hours today. Not that he needed it, he reminded himself with all the cockiness of youth. But, he also didn't want to take the risk of being rusty when he started playing. The practice tournament he'd watched last night had quite a few good contestants.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

The royal retinue were standing in the middle of the perpetually crowded Penny's Arcade, waiting. Recognizing the prince, most of the teens in the crowd kept a respectful distance, making them seem like a boulder in the center of a stream of bodies. Gladiolus kept an eye on anyone who strayed too close, while Ignis kept his eyes firmly on the raven haired boy practically bleeding discontent into the atmosphere.

Noctis did his best to hide his irritation when he checked his phone for the fifth time in fifteen minutes. Prompto was an hour late to meet them, and the prince kept cycling back and forth between worry and annoyance.

He was just about to place his third call when the freckled boy came tearing through the crowd. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm late! Phone died!" He looked like he was going to say more, but he somehow managed to trip on nothing and was suddenly splayed at his friends' feet.

Aggravation forgotten, Noctis and Ignis reached down to help Prompto up, while Gladiolus just laughed.

With his friend in sight, Noctis let the previous sour mood dissipate as he playfully shoved his friend and called him a jackass.

"Oh, man, sorry again. I ran the whole way here. I am starving." Prompto looked hopefully at the other boys, edging slowly in the direction of the food court.

"Well, if you had accepted our invitation for lunch, you would be both sated and punctual." Ignis admonished him, though he also turned in the direction of the food court.

"Aw, Iggyyyyyy. I'm sorry. I had something to do. I promise, I'll come next time." Prompto smiled up at the adviser, who stared at him coolly for moment before taking the lead along with Gladio, heading towards the counter.

Noctis fell behind with Prompto, who turned to him with an anxious expression and whispered "I didn't even think Iggy liked me all that much. Do you think he's offended?"

The prince laughed a little, and slung his arm around his freckled friend's shoulders. "Don't worry about it. That's just Ignis in a nutshell—forever offended."

From ahead, their topic of conversation glared at them from over one shoulder. "I heard that."

The hand loosely draped over Prompto's shoulder waved vaguely up at the bespectacled teen. "See? He's so sensitive."

"I am not sen—" Ignis fell silent when Gladiolus elbowed him in the ribs. He schooled his features back into his usual calm demeanor and faced forward again. Prompto and Noctis snickered behind him, with Gladiolus joining in a few seconds later. The tips of Ignis' ears began to burn in embarrassment, but he said nothing else until they were at the counter.

Prompto immediately sidled up to the register, smiling shyly to the bored looking brunette on the other side. "Uhhhhhhhh," he dramatically rubbed his chin, studying the menu. "Everything looks good, but I think I'll just take a small fry."

"Sweet potato or regular?" The girl asked, barely looking at him.

He glanced to the menu again. "Regular."

"That it? I thought you said you were starving?" Noctis poked Prompto in the belly for emphasis.

"What? Oh, uh, yeah bro. You know me, I was just being dramatic. This'll be fine." Prompto pulled out his wallet, but Noctis bumped him out of the way and addressed the girl behind the counter.

"He'll also have a cheeseburger with everything on it and a root beer."

The girl dutifully rang up the order, adding on another fry and drink for Noctis when he requested, and told them the new total. Prompto looked a little distressed, and tried to protest again.

Noctis frowned at him, pulling out his own wallet. "Keep it up and I'm adding dessert."

The blonde's jaw worked soundlessly for a few moments, then he obediently snapped it shut when Noctis started glaring at the sweets menu.

Gladiolus smirked behind them, clapping Prompto on the shoulder. "Man, I've never seen anyone get shut down with the threat of food. Or anyone who found food to be a threat."

Prompto just chuckled nervously as the prince cast a glance between his friend and shield.

Ignis and Gladiolus placed their own small orders and they all wandered over to a booth in the back corner, exchanging light banter.

Noctis kept glancing at Ignis who seemed to have taken a particular interest in Prompto. The older teen kept a close watch on everything the younger boy did; he had that particular look on his face that he got when he was committing a new recipe or battle strategy to memory. Though he joined in the conversation appropriately, the prince could tell his adviser had something on his mind.

When the food arrived, the conversation ceased for a moment as each member of the group claimed his particular plate and drink.

As soon as the plate was down in front of him, Prompto dug into his burger, taking a voracious bite. As he chewed, a look of pure pleasure washed over his features. "Shhooo goooood." He muttered around the mass of meat and bread, quickly shoveling a few fries in, too. He paused when he caught the others staring at him. He swallowed hard. "What? Do I have something on face?"

"More like something in your face." Noctis raised a dark eyebrow. "Dude, when was the last time you ate?"

Prompto grimaced uncomfortably. "This morning, of course. Bro, I told you I ran here. It was like five miles."

That did not alleviate the look on Noctis' face. "Why didn't you call us for a ride? We would have come to get you."

Prompto shrugged one shoulder and picked his burger back up. "Dunno. Didn't think about it, I guess. Besides, my phone was dead. Couldn't have called if I wanted to."

"Ok, just let us know where you'll be ahead of time next time." Noctis gestured to Ignis, who shot him a very Ignis like look, but kept silent. "We'll come get you from wherever you are."

"Haha, ok ok I promise I'll call next time I need a ride and my phone isn't dead. Now, if you don't miiiind…" Prompto took another bite of his burger, effectively ending that line of questioning.

As Prompto made short work of his food, Ignis turned to address Gladiolus, who shared his side of the booth. "So, I am to understand that you spent the evening out last night? How did that go?"

Noctis had to keep himself from audibly snorting. That was an awkward and overly stiff phrasing, even for Ignis.

Gladiolus seemed to agree and had to hide a smile before turning somewhat serious. "Yes, I went to a bar to meet Cor, but he unfortunately couldn't make it."

"Boo on Cor." Noctis said from around a mouthful of fries.

"Indeed." Ignis nodded seriously at the prince before he turned back to Gladiolus. "So, what did you end up doing?"

Gladiolus rolled his eyes and glanced over to Prompto. Noctis followed his gaze to see the blonde still enthralled with his burger, having slowed down to savor the last few bites.

"Oh, not much. Just sat around and people watched. Had a beer or two." Gladiolus' gaze remained steady on Prompto, who was now dragging several fries through a swath of ketchup and mustard.

Finally sensing the older teens gaze, Prompto paused mid-smear and glanced from the shield to the adviser before leaning over slightly and stage whispering to Noctis: "Why are they staring?"

The prince shook his head and replied in kind. "I don't know, they're both being weird today."

Ignis huffed and started studying his own plate while Gladiolus smiled innocently.

Keeping up the stage whisper bit, Noctis snagged Prompto's sleeve and pulled, saying "Let's ditch them and play air hockey."

"Yes. Let's." Prompto popped the condiment laden fries in his mouth and smiled, giving the two older teens a quick wave as Noctis yanked him from the booth.

"Well that could have gone better," Ignis glared down at his half finished sweet potato fries.

"Yeah, you were super smooth, there Iggy. Super smooth." Gladiolus laughed and pulled over the boys' plates, dumping the rest of their fries on top of his pile. "That kid sure is mouthy. But, I don't know. I kind of like him. Not that I trust him. Especially after last night."

Ignis nodded, narrowing his eyes at the blonde. The air hockey table was just outside the dining area, and the boys were currently riling each other up, both waving their arms about as they joked back and forth. "I don't like the way Noct has taken to him so quickly. He's always been very particular about who he spends his time with. It is hard to understand why this;" he waved his hand dismissively towards the boy in question, "…schoolmate would gain his favor."

"Sounds to me like you may be jealous, Iggy."

Ignis shot him a glare. "Hardly." He then let his eyes travel to where the younger two were, whooping loudly as they competed.

Gladiolus followed his line of vision, smiling when Noctis slammed his paddle down as Prompto danced around at his end of the table. The prince made a rude gesture to his friend and promptly shoved more coins into the machine, starting round two.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Ignis pulled out of Prompto's driveway, heading back towards the citadel. After their brief conversation, he and Gladiolus had joined forces against the younger teens at the air hockey table and lost three out of five games.

Of course, Prompto had made a big deal of it, practically demanding to take a winners/losers photo and had generally been both loud and annoying.

But it was Prompto who had called their evening short, citing homework and an early start for the next day. Noctis had volunteered to stay over with him and study together, but he was turned down.

Ignis stared straight ahead as he drove, wondering how best to broach the subject of the prince's involvement with the other boy. Gladiolus shifted uncomfortably in the passenger's seat.

"Highness?" The adviser began, clearing his throat. "I think we need to talk about Prompto."

Noctis sighed, fiddling with a small hole in his jeans. "You noticed it too?"

This time, it was Gladiolus who spoke up, asking the prince what he meant.

Noctis' face folded in something akin to despair. "I mean, you saw him; said he was starving and then ordered a small fry." Noctis dropped his head against the back of the seat, closing his eyes for a second. "You know, when we were kids, he was pretty chubby. And he's always running everywhere instead of taking any kind of transportation or asking for rides. Always orders the smallest thing on the menus when we eat anywhere…"

Ignis furrowed his brow, thrown off a bit by these revelations. "So you think he may be afflicted with some sort of disorder?"

"I dunno, maybe. I just…worry about him, you know?" Noctis crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his head over to stare sullenly at the passing scenery, the flashing lights reflecting in his night blue eyes. "Sometimes I get the feeling like he thinks he's not good enough to hang around me or something."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Gladiolus was turning in his seat, now, much to Ignis' annoyance.

"No, I don't really know how to bring it up."

"Well, it's certainly something we can discuss at a later date." Ignis was now pulling up to the stairs of the citadel, where a kingsglaive opened the back door of the black town car and stood ready to escort the prince to his rooms.

Before getting out of the car, Noctis smiled at his adviser and reached forward to squeeze his shoulder. "Thanks, Iggy. I really appreciate it. I know you'll be able to help me figure it out. And, I'm really glad you guys are being so nice to Prompto. It's really important to me that you all get along."

Ignis reached up and patted Noctis' hand and smiled comfortingly to him. "Of course, Noct. We can discuss this all more tomorrow. I'm going to drive Gladiolus home, but I will see you bright and early for breakfast."

"Can it be bright, but only kind of early? Or, even better, bright and late?" Noctis waggles his eyebrows under his blue-black fringe.

"Bright and kind of early is acceptable." Ignis nodded to the prince as he closed the backdoor and pulled away from the curb, heading towards the southside of town.

Gladiolus was silent for a while, lost in thought. He thought back to earlier in the day when Prompto had seemed so disconcerted with the amount of food Noctis had gotten him. "So, do you think Noct is right? That the kid has some kind of problem with eating or something? I guess that could explain his secretive nature."

Ignis chewed the inside of his cheek, going back over previous interactions he'd had with the freckled youth. Though he'd only been out with all of them a handful of times, he could recall instances that would seem to prove the prince's worries. However, he was starting to get concerned that it could be part of an act. The boy could very well be setting up a long con; playing the role of a pauper and taking advantage of the prince's generosity. "I suppose that could explain some things, but not why he was in that bar last night, nor why Cor would have asked you to meet him there. Has he said anything else to you?"

Gladiolus had reported to the Crownsguard marshal much the same thing he reported to Ignis, rightly assuming that was why they were supposed to be meeting there. Cor had only responded with "You need to watch out for him" and had not replied again to the multiple texts sent by the curious shield. "No, not since last night."

When he'd shared the text with Ignis, they'd both agreed that there was something fishy going on. Why would the marshal give the boy a clean evaluation and then send Gladiolus to spy on him? Was he somehow dangerous to the prince?

Ignis pulled up outside of the Amicitia residence, idling the car while Gladiolus went in and changed into a different set of street clothes. They had decided to go back to the bar and see if Prompto showed up again. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Gladiolus thought it best to wear something inconspicuous. He came back to the car wearing a blue hoodie and jeans, and had stuffed his long hair into a ball cap.

They rode in silence then, each lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't until they were near the bar that Gladiolus spoke up again. "You sure you're going to be ok out here? I bet if we showed your royal ID they'd let you in."

Ignis snorted softly. "Though my skill set may be different than yours, I assure you I am quite capable of taking care of myself, should the need arise. But, as promised, I will not leave the car."

"Alright, alright." It was true, Gladiolus knew, along with all his other duties and learnings, Ignis had also been trained in combat his entire life. They occasionally sparred together and he had to admit the slighter teen was formidable.

Ignis chose a spot near the back of the building that afforded him a view of the entire length of the left side and back wall of the bar and the street beyond. He bid Gladiolus good luck as the older teen headed to the front of the bar and disappeared inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I'm late. lots of ot at work. woo. anywho, one more chapter to go for this one I thnk. then back with more at a later date :) thanks for all the reviews, favorites and etceteras! Literally this is like the best fandom ever. pat yourselves on the back! anyway, don't own, pls don't sue! I just like to pick on Prompto :) On with the story!**

Prompto puffed out a breath and leaned against the inside of his door as the others pulled away. He hated lying to them; but he couldn't let them know what he was up to. He was certain they wouldn't understand, much less approve. He smiled when thinking of the severe face of disapproval Ignis would make at him had the older boy known he was heading to a bar.

Prompto stood straight up, pulled his best 'Iggy Face' and grabbed imaginary suspenders as he headed towards his room. Affecting his best Tennebraen accent, he mimicked the stern adviser; "Such seedy establishments are no place for a minor, and certainly not one who is often seen in the company of the crown prince." He snickered to himself as he threw open the door to his bedroom.

Wait.

He was often seen in the company of the crown prince.

Prompto had no illusions of himself; he knew any time Noctis was recognized in public that he was as good as invisible next to his famous friend. However, that was just to civilians. The nobility; the people who mattered- are often on the search for anything that may be scandalous, if for no other reason than to alleviate boredom.

Not that any nobles would dare lower themselves to entering a common bar, but that didn't mean anything.

Prompto was suddenly paranoid that he was somehow going to embarrass his only friend. And if he was enough of an embarrassment, maybe Noctis wouldn't want to bother with him anymore. And if Noctis didn't want to be his friend, then he'd go back to the way things were before. He'd have no one.

But, if he continued to be a financial burden on Noctis, maybe he'd start to think that Prompto only wanted to hang around him for perks and status. And he'd end up feeling the same, and Prompto would end up alone.

He gave himself a disgusted look in the mirror. He couldn't think about this stuff right now.

However, he did think it may be better if he didn't look quite so like himself. He decided to slick his hair back again like he did last night, and opted to wear his glasses instead of contacts. That should make him unrecognizable. It worked in the comics, anyway.

He quickly changed into a plain white tee shirt and jeans and headed back out, checking his wallet and pockets twice to make sure he had everything he needed.

He'd spent some of his savings getting a fake ID the first time his parents had neglected to provide him enough money to last the length of their travels. His original intention was to get a part time job, and everywhere he could apply that wouldn't interfere with his school schedule required you to be 18 or older. So, he'd gotten the ID, and applied to seven different places.

Unfortunately he didn't count on 'experience required' being an actual thing, and received only two call backs, and apparently blew both interviews. He'd beat himself up about that, feeling like he'd wasted his money on the ID only to have it be useless.

Luckily, his dad had ended up coming home a few days before the last of the food—a lone jar of peanut butter and a box of cornflakes—had gone dry.

The elder Argentum had apologized profusely to him, hugged him, and promised it would never happen again. He spent the entire weekend with Prompto, took him to a movie and got him a new carrying case for his camera. They had even had dinner together both nights. But, when Prompto had woken up on that Monday, the refrigerator and cabinets were full again and his dad was gone.

That was ok, though. He was used to that sort of thing.

Even when he was much younger, his parents had very little time for him. They expected him to be independent and take care of himself without their supervision. He understood their reasoning, though. They both had demanding jobs. But they were never cruel to him; never made him feel like a burden.

Well, up until this last time they were all together…but he didn't want to think about that, either. Or the fact that they could be neglecting him on purpose at this point.

He'd been having recurring nightmares that his parents had simply moved away and decided not to tell him.

Promto took one last look at himself, steeling his nerves. He was glad he'd kept the ID. He was sure he could win this tournament; his high school lounge had a pool table and dart board, and most of the students had quickly learned that challenging the bouncy blonde almost always ended up in loss. He'd hustled quite a bit from his classmates before an administrator caught wind and started enforcing the No Gambling policy and given him a week of detention. Paying back the winnings had been the hardest part.

Bidding goodbye to the empty house, Prompto locked up and began the long trek to the bar.

He regretted leaving without a jacket as he walked, the early spring evening proving to be cooler than usual. He thrust his hands into his pockets, hurrying his step as he neared his destination. He flashed his ID to the bouncer who gave it a cursory glance before waving him through. Prompto tried to smother the flutter in his chest as he ducked into the noise and smoky warmth of the bar, but failed miserably.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Gladiolus was feeling pretty good. When he'd sat down in a corner of the billiards room and ordered a beer, he'd shot Ignis a text to let him know Prompto was not there as of yet; and almost as an afterthought, he also sent one to Cor Leonis, letting him know that he was keeping tabs on the kid.

He'd been in the bar for about thirty minutes, and had struck up quite the flirtation with one of the servers. Her name was Behtii and she was tall and built like a brick house. He appreciated that in a prospective conquest. Gladiolus could be gentle when he wanted, but it wasn't his favorite thing. The server passed by his table often, making sure to lightly touch his arm each time she did. Her dark eyes were captivating. During his second beer, which she'd sat down without him asking her to, he decided he hoped Prompto didn't show.

But, alas, the six were against him. Sure enough, the kid showed up during an influx of patrons streaming into the room just a few minutes later. Gladiolus snorted, having never seen Prompto wear glasses. He wasn't sure if they were prescription or not, but they were definitely too big for his face. It was almost embarrassing the lengths this kid was going in order to play the part of someone older to sneak into a bar.

He slid his own drink to the side as he watched the freckled boy. Just like the night before, Prompto walked straight up to the bar. The same tattooed man was there, and he waved off Prompto's proffered ID. He leaned down on the counter, talking to the blonde. Gladiolus followed Prompto's vague gesture over to a sign about a tournament. The bartender nodded and then set about fixing a drink for the boy, a mixed one this time instead of a beer. Prompto handed him a substantial amount of gil, and then sauntered over to a table, depositing his drink. He then selected one of the shorter pool sticks from a rack on the wall and pulled a small case out of his pocket, setting it next to his glass on the table.

He watched the crowd a few moments, then got his phone out and started messing with it. Unlike yesterday, however, he pulled the glass forward and took a few large swallows of it, finishing half of it before putting it back on the table.

Gladiolus frowned deeply, resisting the urge to stomp over and smack the glass from the younger boy's hand. Instead, he finished off his own drink and asked for water the next time the waitress sauntered by.

Her smile held some promises that Gladiolus hoped he'd get to see come to pass.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Prompto was feeling good. Gooder than good, actually. When he came in, the bartender had remembered him from the night before. He mentioned that when his table had been cleaned, most of the beer was still in the glass. Prompto had been a bit embarrassed, but admitted that he hadn't really liked the taste.

The bartender had smiled knowingly and offered to make him an iced tea instead. He'd eagerly accepted the glass and paid for it and his entry fee.

"Why's it called a Longwythe Ice Tea? Isn't all tea just …tea?" He'd asked. The bartender had shrugged and said there was a special way they made it up there.

It had a little bit of a bitter aftertaste, and he idly wondered if they had some sugar he could add. He supposed he couldn't really complain, since there probably weren't a lot of options for non-acoholic drinks in the bar. It was certainly better than the beer from the night before, and that was all that really mattered. He did not understand how anyone drank the stuff.

He didn't have long to dwell on it, as the tournament began shortly after he claimed his spot at the same corner high top table he sat at the night before.

His first two matches went smoothly. He played conservatively, winning by only a small margin in both games. Both players bought him another drink each, as was the polite thing to do when bested. Prompto was glad none of them seemed to find it weird that he continued ordering the tea instead of something with alcohol in it; but maybe he'd been wrong and it wasn't so taboo to be sober in this kind of place.

He drank each new Longwythe ice tea faster than the one before. They were so good. He couldn't remember ever having better. And he was playing so well. By the third game, he couldn't figure out why, but he was feeling awesome.

However, his opponent in this match was a lot better than the previous two; he'd watched him finish up his prior game, and the big man had run the table the older woman he was playing.

But, Prompto had never had such confidence. He had never felt better in his life; all his nerves had melted away. He sure was thinking the word 'had' a lot, which made him giggle.

Throwing caution to the wind, he started to really enjoy himself.

This guy was pretty big, not like Gladiolus but close, with a little less muscle and a lot more beer gut. Their first game was darts, which Prompto knew hands down he could decimate anyone in. He wasn't sure why, but he'd always had impeccable aim. Sadly, this was not accompanied by grace or athleticism, so he wasn't able to really do well in sports.

The older man had identified himself as something Prompto was unable to currently pronounce (What was wrong with his tongue, anyway?) so the freckled boy had taken to referring to him as Chuckles. (But mostly in irony as the guy seemed like he would sooner tear off your face than laugh at a joke)

The man was up first in the dart portion of their game, throwing his set in rapid succession. All his hits were concentrated near the center.

He yanked the darts out of the board and smirked at Prompto. "Inner and outer bullseye and a 16. 91 points first go. Good luck, kid."

"Ah man, old dude! Good score. But, ahhh, yeah, I'm pretty sure I got this." He walked up to the line, swaying a little as he lined his right foot up with the tape on the floor. He shoved his glasses up his nose impatiently, and bit his lip as he aimed. The dart flew from his hand, hitting exactly where he intended it to. "Twenty, triple ring."

The small crowd around him ooohed, and Chuckles sneered. "Luck."

"You keep on thinking that, old dude." He threw the next two one right after the other, and now all three darts were crowded in the tiny red bar in the center of the twenty wedge. Prompto threw up his arms with a shit-eating grin on his face, and laughed heartily. He dropped his arms and took on a mock-thoughtful pose, rubbing his chin with one hand. "Let's seeeee, now, math never was my strong suit…buuuut I think that puts me at 180 pernts…pants, I mean uh points." He winked cheekily at the glaring man before collecting his own darts and dramatically waving his arms to usher Chuckles towards the line on the floor.

The rest of the game went much the same, and Chuckles was becoming visibly angrier by the moment, which endlessly amused Prompto. The other man did an admirable job of trying to catch up, but Prompto eventually won. He loudly "dun-da-dunned" out his patented victory fanfare and danced from foot to foot. When he whirled around to shake the man's hand, he found himself abruptly shoved up against the nearby wall.

The immediate crowd went silent while beyond them the other three groups continued their games.

Chuckles sneered down at him. "Listen here, you little shit. I don't know how you done it, but you won that round. Now pick up your stick and play the other half." He gripped the boy hard by the shoulder and shoved him towards the orange-felted table.

"Woah, hey there guy, no need to get handsy. Friendly game, right?" Prompto's bright smile faltered a little as he took in the glowering figure before him. It took his brain a few moments to realize that the guy may in fact be mad. Like, really actually mad, not the fake kind of mad that Noctis got when they competed. The group around him didn't look too much nicer, some of them sharing whispers and gesturing to him. Suddenly the freckled boy felt like maybe he made a bad decision coming here. He shook it off quickly, though, knowing it was too late to change his mind.

"Ok, so maybe not a frennly..um friendly game then." Prompto picked up one of the blue chalk cubes that littered the rails of the pool table, rubbing it on the end of his stick. Taking a deep breath, he leaned over the table to break.

Now, Prompto wasn't as good at pool as he was at darts, and though it was easy to hustle other high school kids, he found that these folk were nothing to sneeze at. He'd won the first two matches, sure, but he'd actually had to put in effort where the pool portion was concerned. But, perhaps lady luck was on his side, indeed. When he broke, four balls found their way to pockets. He grinned at Chuckles again and called solids, then proceeded to sink three more before he missed a shot. He shrugged it off, grinning at the surrounding crowd.

Remembering that the other player had literally run the table his last game, Prompto needed to do anything he could to throw him off his game. He had decided to try a tactic that almost always worked against Noctis when they played anything competitively.

Classic shit talking.

There was yet another tea on his table, he took a few hefty swigs before stepping away to watch Chuckles stalk his way around the table, deciding which angle was best. Prompto swaggered up next to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Man good luck. I mean, I'm definitely gonna kick your ass. You kind of sucked at the darts, sooooo…well anyway. Good luck."

Chuckles violently jerked back, gripping his pool stick like he might take a swing at Prompto. They stared each other down for a moment (seriously, why was he so sure of himself? Any other time and he'd already would have given up and slunk home in defeat, just to avoid that crazy cold look in the other guy's eyes) but Chuckles said nothing and turned away, leaning over to take his first shot.

Prompto ignored the shaking of his hands, and chose to pay no mind to the voice screaming in the back of his head that he probably should not be antagonizing the other man. But, he had to rattle him. He was too good, and if Prompto beat him, he'd get to play in the finals.

Prompto exhaled hard as he reached his table, draining the rest of his tea. Where was that waitress, anyway? He might have enough for another….

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Ignis prided himself on being someone who never became 'bored'. His mind was sharp, and easily occupied itself. However, ninety three minutes after receiving notice from Gladiolus that Prompto had apparently entered some sort of tournament, he found himself studying his reflection in the lighted vanity mirror.

He resisted the urge to coax out a pimple that had recently made itself known. He'd been weak when it came to this before, and knew that his previous transgressions would result in acne scars. He'd meticulously tweaked his diet and exercise regimine and tried an array of products, but alas his genetic makeup seemed to have it out for him in this particular matter.

Some suggested it could be the coffee consumption. To those he advised they keep their noses to themselves.

Just as he began to prod the soft skin on his chin next to where the hard little mound of disgustingness was making itself known, his phone buzzed, effectively saving him from himself.

::kid's got himself some moves. Won first three games. Going into finals::

Ignis scrunched his face up. Gladiolus was sounding almost impressed. He was definitely going to be reporting this issue to the King. They had evidence now of the boy's unsavory activities. Surely His Majesty would stop being so indulgent with the prince, and their life would settle back into its comfortable routine.

Oh, his blessed comfortable routine. How he had been missing it. He would drive the prince to and from school, taking his own lessons in between. He would then tutor Noctis about proper royal etiquette and assist him with his homework when needed, retiring to his own rooms to enjoy peace and quiet until the next day began. Weekends would see him accompanying the prince to his lessons with Gladiolus, and then to proper outings suited to the boy's station.

He would certainly not be collecting the royal heir from loud arcades or movie theaters or malls. And he certainly would not be sitting outside of seedy establishments in the dead of night spying on some smart alec loudmouthed kid.

Yes, once things were back to normal, it would all be quite—

The back door of the bar slammed open, the metallic clang echoing into the night. Men, several of them, poured out into the garbage strewn parking lot. One of them was dragging a struggling and bloodied Prompto by his right arm, the left dangling uselessly at his side. Before the door shut again, Ignis could just make out a shadow that he could only assume to be Gladiolus being shoved back away from the threshold by a small group of bar patrons.

His stomach twisting in sudden worry and something akin to panic, Ignis snatched his phone up and immediately called Cor Leonis.

Before he could even speak, Cor was barking into the line. "I'm almost there. Where is the boy?"

Ignis recovered quickly, stepping out of his car and closing the door quietly behind him. The group of men had pulled Prompto behind the bar and were now almost out of sight. He told as much to the older man as he quickly and quietly followed them.

"Do not engage, Ignis. Stay back. My ETA is less than four minutes. Others are not far behind."

"Yes sir." Ignis ended the call, slowing his pace just a little. He was torn; he was still a good distance from the group, but they had come to a stop, and were currently circled around Prompto, who he could just make out being jostled around in the center of the five men as they yelled obscenities at him.

Ignis came to a stop, his heart gripped by icy fear. The prudent, rational thing to do would be to keep his distance and assist when backup arrived.

A strangled scream from the center of the group of men voided Cor's order instantly, however, and Ignis took off towards them at a run.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yooo hey there guys! This story has gotten away from me. I intended it to be more light and fluffy, but boy oh boy did it decide to go a different direction. So much so that I am somewhat concerned that I should go back and rate this one M. I mean, it's not nearly as insanely graphic and violent as other stories I've read on here, but we're gonna go ahead and call this a "trigger warning" chapter. soooo if you're uncomfortable with or distressed by violence and sexual situations that may not be altogether kosher (trust me, I'm making is sound a thousand times worse than it is. very tame in comparison to most others) you may wanna turn back now. let's hope this alerts and updates properly cause it seems like everyone missed the last chapter. Anywho, on wit**

XVXVXV NOW XVXVXV

"...and then Iggy showed up and bing-bang-broom, we all lived happily after." Prompto bit his bottom lip as he carefully dunked a cold mozzarella stick into a tub of ranch. He rolled his eyes when Gladiolus loudly cleared his throat. "And I guess Glidio was there, too, or whatever."

Ignis sneered at the fried cheese still clutched in the gunslinger's hand. "Must you?"

Prompto smiled and waved the offensive food in the adviser's face. "Aww, c'mon, you can enjoy some peasant food now and again."

"I will stick to my potato skins, thank you. Those are peasant enough for me."

"Well, anyway, so what hunt are we picking up, next?" Prompto tried, but could not pull off 'nonchalant'.

Noctis kicked his best friend under the table, earning an annoyed yelp.

Prompto shot the prince a mean look. "You're so violent when you drink."

Noctis replied by kicking him again. "Sstop tryin' to sskip the story, then."

"Awww, c'mon, Noct. I was kid. I was someplace I shouldn't have been. Bad shit ha-happened. Do we really have to go over it?"

"Well, if you don't finish the story, how am I ever going to find out if Iggy likess you or not?"

Ignis snorted, plucking up a potato skin and cutting his eyes sideways at Prompto. "That's still up in the air."

"Uuughhhh, fiiiine. But only if Iggy tells me he loves me." Prompto grinned at the adviser, his freckles standing out starkly against his alcohol-flushed cheeks.

"I will admit only to a slight fondness."

Noctis snickered and drained his beer. "That's Iggy for 'I love you forever and ever' so on with the story."

"Fiiiine. Fine. Tell the story."

Gladiolus leaned in, grinning. "Well, see..."

XVXVXVFIVE YEARS AGOXVXVXV

Gladiolus found himself getting into the game despite his earlier promise to himself to remain angry and sullen. After Prompto won the first two matches, he'd been suitably impressed. Though he was too far away to hear what was going on, it seemed like the kid was getting along with the rough crowd.

Now that Prompto was starting up another match, he felt safe enough to move without him possibly being spotted.

Gladiolus made his way over to the heavily tattooed bartender, turning and giving Behtii a lusty smile as he passed. She winked and lightly skirted around him as she carried a beer laden tray towards a rowdy table near the restrooms. She winked at him and continued on her way, making sure to give him a bit of a show as she sashayed to her destination. With a wistful sigh he whirled back to his current priority, waving his hand in a rejection of the beer the bartender was about to pour.

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Prompto as he sat down on one of the sticky stools. "He come in here often?"

The older man leaned down on the counter, resting on his forearms. "The one with all the spots? Nah, he just started coming in yesterday. Nice one, though, isn't he?" The odd look in the older man's eye made heat rise to the warrior's face and he furrowed his brow.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose."

"Young, too." The bartender made a sound in the back of his throat that set Gladiolus' skin to crawling. "Yeah, I've had a few people approach me, asking after him. You interested?"

Gladiolus nodded, becoming more disconcerted by the moment. He glanced back over his shoulder, watching Prompto for a few seconds. "You could say that."

The bartender laughed, shaking his head. "Behtii's gonna be disappointed. But, she's used to it. Not like this place isn't just overrun with your type. But you like what you like, am I right?"

Gladiolus was about to answer, but the man held up a finger as he straightened back up and poured a drink for a patron further down the bar. A vibration in his pocket had Gladiolus pulling out his phone.

It was a message from Cor.

:On my way. Anyone approach the kid?:

Thinking on it a second, he replied:

:No, but I am not liking this. What the hell is going on?:

:I'll explain when I get there. Watch out for him.:

That's when things really started to slide into place for Gladiolus. He and Ignis had misunderstood Cor's words from the day before. It wasn't 'watch out for him' as in he was a danger to the prince. It was a 'watch out for him' as in Prompto himself was in danger. An icy tendril of unease coiled in his guts as he rose from the barstool. There was no way in hell he was waiting for Cor. He was going to have to reveal himself to the boy and drag his ass out, whether he liked it or not.

As Gladiolus was turning, the bartender reached out and tapped him on the arm, pulling his attention back. He glanced between the older man and the freckled teen. Prompto was leant over the table, sinking a shot. He seemed safe enough for the moment, so he decided to gain more information. He settled back down and nodded to the man to let him know to continue.

The bartender winked conspiratorially and leaned down on the counter again, edging closer to Gladiolus to keep their conversation quiet. "The one he's playing now seems right interested, but I dunno. I've seen his work, and honestly, sometimes it's less than ideal. Let's just say not all of 'em come back as pretty as they go."

Gladiolus' blood began to boil and it was becoming harder by the second to keep his composure. "You don't say."

"Yeah, I mean, I got him set up in the game so he could get a bit closer, you know? Get a real good look at the goods, cause he's hemming about the price. But I still haven't decided if I'm gonna let him have a go. I mean money's money, but some things shouldn't be on a man's conscious. But, what're you going to do?" He shrugged one shoulder and then stared hard in Gladiolus' eye for a moment. "You gonna make me an offer? I mean, you look like you might have the gil to spend. You could have a right good time."

Gladiolus glared at the bartender for a moment. He was torn between disbelief that the man was speaking to him so openly about this and being disgusted that the man looked at him and saw someone that would be interested in making some kind of transaction for Prompto.

There was a bit of a commotion behind him, and he thought he heard Prompto above the crowd. He rose up to take a look, but now the kid was now at his table again, draining his glass. He turned back to the bartender, settling on his stool. He wanted confirmation of his suspicions. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, you know. Fresh young thing like that? The one he's playing is the only one who might be willing to meet the 5000 gil price I'm asking. 1000 for me to plant the pill and 4000 to look the other way when he carries him outta here. If you'll match that, I'll let him go to you, instead. I mean, the job's half done as it is. He's pretty, but none too bright." The bartender wiped a hand across his mouth, laughing softly. "Been giving him Longwythe ice teas since he got in. Pretty sure he has no idea. I can just drop a little something extra into the next one, and he'll be down for the count."

The bartender kept talking, but it was becoming harder to hear him over the pounding blood in Gladiolus' ears. His hands began to tremble against the counter with barely suppressed rage. He swallowed hard, standing to his full height.

Staring off towards the object of conversation, the tattooed man failed to notice the danger he was in as Gladiolus' shadow loomed over him. "You know," he said distantly; wistfully, "I see him fairly often. Jogs through here almost every day—"

There was a sickening crunch as the bartender's face met the counter. Gladiolus did not make a sound as he readjusted his grip in the man's thinning hair and slammed his head home again. When he let him go to slither to the ground, there was blood pouring from his nose and his mouth fell open, revealing a gap where three teeth used to be.

Someone, a regular, presumably, attempted to punch the glowering warrior; a mistake that he paid for with a few teeth of his own.

Gladiolus ducked as a stool was thrown his way, coming up smoothly and striking out, taking satisfaction as his assailant's collarbone snapped from the force of his blow. He delivered a knockout punch, his quick amber eyes darting around, looking for the next combatant.

Prompto's pain filled shriek ripped his attention back towards the pool tables where the man he'd been playing against had the freckled boy bent over, one hand gripping his hair and the other wrenching the teen's arm up the center of his back. The larger man made a sudden jerking movement and Prompto screamed again, though it died in a gurgling moan as he was yanked back up to a standing position.

The man who'd been playing him shoved Prompto towards a backdoor, rearing back and kicking the boy hard when he stumbled to the ground. The man reached down again, gripping Prompto's right arm and half yanked, half drug him towards the back. A few others followed behind, hooting and hollering as they made their way outside.

Gladiolus roared, shoving people down in his haste to help the younger boy.

Unfortunately, the entire place had now erupted into an out and out brawl, and the warrior was tackled from the side by three other men. The last thing he saw of Prompto was him being dragged out of the closing door, desperately trying to free himself from the man's iron grasp.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Prompto found himself on ground in the back parking lot surrounded by unfamiliar people. How he got here was a bit of a blur. He vaguely recalled winning his third match, and when he'd turned to head back to his table, he'd apparently collided with a fist the size of the Disk of Cauthess. There was a dull snap and searing pain down the side of his face as his glasses fell in two pieces to the ground. They were quickly trampled by Chuckles as he strode towards the slowly recovering boy.

Confused and swaying on his feet, Prompto did not see the right hook heading his way. He was struck with enough force to spin him around to land on the pool table, his vision filled with an expanse of blurry orange felt. When he'd tried to get back up, his left arm was yanked out from under him and pulled up behind his back while a firm hand gripped the short hair at the back of his head and drove his upper body back down on the table. Someone screamed and Prompto had the sneaking suspicion that it was himself.

The heavier man kicked Prompto's feet apart and leaned down to whisper to him. "Oh the things I'm gonna do to you, you little punk mother fucker." Renewing his grip on Prompto's left arm and, hitching the appendage upwards sharply, he let out a moan just as a scream erupted from his prey. He rolled his hips against the boy's backside, and leaned down again, whispering dark promises into the boy's ear. "This is only the beginning."

After that Prompto wasn't too sure of what happened, but right now…he was damned scared. He was on all fours, trying to hold himself up as he was shoved and kicked at from all directions. He was crying, trembling, retching on the ground as the men around him yelled; their words were a cacophony of danger, and he could only make out a few above the din and his own heaving breaths and stomach; what he did hear drove home an immediate need for escape.

But, that was not going to happen. His mind was in full blown panic as two of the men pulled him into a kneeling position by his upper arms, the one on the left seeming to enjoy the whimpers he made as his dislocated shoulder was jostled. A high pitched ringing sounded in his ears and his vision began to shake, as if his eyes themselves were quaking in terror.

Then everything came crashing into immediate focus, as the blurred figure of Chuckles—a name he now regretted giving the man as there was absolutely nothing funny about him—filled his field of vision, grinning down at him.

The man smiled at his friends, jutting his chin towards the downed boy. "Can you believe that prick wanted 5000 gil for him? Can't believe our luck that that fight broke out."

He reached out and caressed Prompto's cheek almost sweetly. "I'm gonna teach you how to really use that smart mouth of yours." He finished up the caress with a small slap for emphasis before straightening up and reaching for his belt buckle.

Prompto bucked his captor's grip, screaming for help, though he wasn't altogether sure he was making actual words. His head snapped to the side and the metallic tang of blood mixed with the sour aftertaste of vomit, but still he screamed. What got him to stop was the sudden appearance of a 9 mm pistol in his face.

He breathed hard as the men went silent around him. The erratic pounding of his heart was joined by the steady pounding of feet on pavement, and everyone but Prompto turned to gawk at the newcomer.

Prompto was too busy staring down the barrel of the gun still trained steadily on him.

"Unhand the boy." The voice was steady and authoritative. The kind of voice used to being obeyed. But, there was an undercurrent of panic to it that Prompto had never before associated with its owner.

Chuckles regarded Ignis coolly for a few beats before sneering at him darkly. "Get your own piece of ass, this one's spoken for."

Ignis subtly changed his stance, leaning slightly to the left so he could keep Prompto, the gunmen and the man before him in proper sight. At his movement, the gunman pointed his weapon at Ignis instead.

Prompto sniffed hard, staring up at Ignis through watery eyes. "Iggy…wha..whad're you doin here?"

Ignis pressed his lips together tightly, shooting Prompto a reassuring glance. "Not to worry, I am here to help. These gentlemen aren't going to harm you any further. This I promise you."

Chuckles lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." He signaled to the man on Prompto's left, who hauled him all the way up by his dislocated arm, pulling the whimpering boy to his chest and stepping back a few paces until the man with the gun was between them and Ignis.

Prompto was gasping, his eyes rolling between each of the men, finally landing back on Ignis. His face folded in resolve. "Please…Iggy. Run. Don't let them hurt you, too."

Ignis clenched his hands at his sides, tears springing to his own eyes as the younger teen pleaded with him to save himself.

"Yeah, Iggy." Chuckles advanced towards Ignis, a dark confidence to his stride. "Run."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi again! Fingers crossed that this actually updates correctly, since it hasn't since chapter 2 omg. anywho, this got quite a bit darker than anticipated. Hope that's ok. Next chapter will the the last and will be the comfort part of our journey, and hopefully will close with that bit of humor promised so long ago. On with the story!**

Gladiolus was angry.

No, that wasn't the right word for it.

He'd been angry before. Like when Noctis skipped out on his practice, or when his father once grounded him for something Iris had done; having refused to listen to his side of the story. Anger was simple. It was hot and fierce and then it was gone.

He'd even felt enraged before. When his mother had died, he'd felt rage at everything; his father, his friends, Iris, the world at large. He was inconsolable and violent. Rage was blinding and electric; all synapses firing, all muscles quivering for an outlet.

But this; this feeling inside of him was something he had no word for. It was quiet and calm an almost terrifying in it's completeness; every thought in his head with the exception of getting to Prompto was dialed down to nothing.

The entire bar had broken into an out and out brawl; people fighting each other just because. After he had made short work of the three men who had foolishly decided to attack him, his body moved of its own volition with its singular purpose. He almost idly blocked errant punches, and returned a few more devastating blows of his own. All the while making his way inexorably to the backdoor, letting it clang shut behind him.

Once outside, he quickly glanced around, noting Ignis' car was empty. He cocked his head, listening, and followed the sounds on the wind around the back of the building.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Ignis stood his ground as the larger man-the apparent leader of this band of ruffians-advanced. He settled his weight on his left foot, which was slid slightly forward. When he spoke again, that small note of panic was gone, and his voice was that of the put-upon adviser to the lazy prince once again. "I suggest you let him go. This will not end well for you."

The men laughed, and the one gripping Prompto pulled him back a few more paces, leaning his head down and whispering something to the already terrified boy. The freckled boy let out a strangled whimper when the man nipped his ear.

That small desperate utterance of pain was almost enough to white out Ignis' thought process, but he forced the panic down; forced himself to think.

Ignis chewed the inside of this lip, calculating exactly what his chances were against the men.

If Cor was accurate in his timing, he would be there in approximately two and a half minutes. If he could keep them talking that long, he may get himself and Prompto out of this situation unscathed.

The man before him seemed to like his chances against the slight teen and stopped a few paces away. "Oh yeah? And exactly what are you going to do, eh?" He reached forward and poked Ignis in the shoulder.

"I would advise you to keep your hands to yourself. Let the boy go, and walk away. I will not ask again." Ignis swallowed hard, keeping one eye on Prompto's guard, who had pulled him even farther and continued his litany of whispered threats. Even from this distance, he could see the freckled boy shaking. The man's hand slithered down Prompto's chest, fingers splayed across his stomach, and he was not stopping there…

He didn't have time to wait for Cor. As the ringleader reached forward to poke him again, Ignis snapped his left hand up , grabbing the man by his wrist and applying pressure just so; and as the startled man grimaced down at him, Ignis decked him three quick times in the face, sending him reeling back. The bespectacled teen then deftly threw his right leg up in a roundhouse kick to the side of the larger man's head, sending him lurching sideways. He crashed into the ground and made no move to get up.

Without missing a beat, Ignis strode forward to the next threat, leaning to the right to dodge an oncoming fist. He grabbed it and used the man's momentum to flip him onto his back. A quick kick to the temple put a stop to his attempt to scramble back up and Ignis continued on.

He scanned the field, recalculating his next move. There was one terrified looking man who stood frozen, mouth agape. Then, a few feet away, the gunman stood, looking equally terrified. A sudden shout behind him had the man whipping around, taking his eyes off of Ignis for a brief moment.

Beyond the gunman, the man who had been holding Prompto was cursing and giving chase to the younger boy, who had somehow managed to escape his grasp. Ignis inwardly cringed as the man easily caught up to freckled teen and tackled him to the ground.

Using the momentary distraction, Ignis sprang towards the unarmed man, snatched him by the collar, drove his knee up into his sternum, and then flung him towards the gunman, who was just now turning his attention back to the real threat.

Unfortunately, the man tripped over his own feet and sprawled on the ground before he crashed into his companion.

Now, Ignis had only to deal with the gunman, and the man holding struggling teen. The gunman was sweating, and the weapon shook in his hand ever so slightly. His eyes were not on Ignis, however, but trained on something behind the adviser.

A slight scrape of shoe on pavement was his only warning to the oncoming attack. Large arms wrapped around Ignis, jerking him up into a bear hug. Ignis gasped as his ribs bit into his lungs. He thrust his head back in an attempt to break the larger man's nose, but to no avail. The brute just grunted and squeezed him harder.

"Go to sleep," he muttered darkly into Ignis' ear and he gripped him impossibly tighter. "Once you go night night, I am going to tear your little friend apart. There'll be nothing left after I'm through."

Distantly, he heard his name being called from multiple directions; or was that just an odd affect that came along with the sudden ringing in his ears?

A heavy weight knocked into them from the side, forcing the larger man to relax his hold. Ignis seized the opportunity and slithered out of his arms, rolling onto his back and sucking in the cool night air. Above him, Gladiolus ripped into the man who'd started this all, the prince's shield fighting with a quiet ferocity Ignis had never witnessed before. He would have almost felt bad for the other man had he not been about to—

A familiar yelp had him scrambling to his feet, swaying a bit and glaring through the irksome sparks that danced in the haze before his eyes. He shook his head, attempting to bring the world around him into focus.

While Ignis was down, the man holding Prompto had given him over to the gunman, who had one arm clutched around the boy's throat and the other holding the gun into his side.

Gladiolus stepped up next to Ignis, laying a restraining hand on his shoulder.

The gunman was obviously nervous, not having expected to deal with someone who could actually put up a fight. "O-okay! Nobody move! I didn't come here looking for all this bullshit, and now I just wanna get outta here." His voice and hands shook, and he darted his eyes between the two unexpectedly formidable teens.

"No, you came here looking to take advantage of some drunk kid. He's fifteen you piece of—" Despite the warnings, Gladiolus took an aggressive step forward.

The gunman tightened his finger on the trigger and shot a wild eyed glance at the warrior. "Stop now, or he dies. I just wanna get to my car and get the hell outta here, ok? Get back, towards the bar." He began moving in the direction of the parking lot, his friend close at his side. They stepped gingerly around the man Ignis had flipped earlier, who still lay unconscious on the ground.

Prompto had his eyes locked with those of Ignis', the strong steady green keeping him focused as they passed almost within touching distance, and they filled with tears as they moved farther apart, the two men pulling him closer to the first row of cars.

They stopped as the man who had been holding Prompto before fumbled his set of keys, dropping them to the ground with a clatter. Ignis kept his cool gaze on Prompto, trying to reassure him. But suddenly the smaller boy went stiff; his eyes wide and staring behind the adviser and shield. Something strange flashed in those watery cerulean depths, and his face abruptly went blank.

In several fluid movements almost too quick for Ignis to track, Prompto wrenched his right arm up and back between him and the gunman, then thrust down and forward again, threading his fist through the open space under the man's arm. The appendage was now trapped against Prompto's back. In panic, the man squeezed the trigger, shooting his friend just as he rose up holding the keys triumphantly above his head, causing him to immediately collapsed to the concrete shrieking and holding his left shoulder.

The gunman shoved against the awkward grasp; Prompto followed the movement, whirling a bit on his heel. His useless left arm flailed out as he spun, giving the illusion of a graceless ballet turn. He stepped slightly behind the man, and then back-kicked into the crook of the man's right knee, buckling it. Prompto grasped the man's arm, sliding his hand along the older man's forearm as he fell, pulling the gun from his hand. Prompto flipped the weapon in his grip, and finished his pivot to face Ignis and Gladiolus once more. He raised the gun towards them and fired off two quick shots.

Ignis hit the ground hard, his face smacking against the concrete, glasses skittering several feet away. Gladiolus lay next to him—or more accurately half on top of him—holding him down longer than necessary.

"You ok?" Gladiolus' voice was ragged; breathless.

"Well, I'm not shot, it that is what you are enquiring. You?"

"Also not shot." Gladiolus sat up, looking behind them to where the ring leader of this little band of shit heads was lying on the ground, twin bloodstains blossoming on his upper chest. A large dagger lay a few feet away from him.

Gladiolus slowly got to his feet, approaching Prompto who stood still as a statue, staring down at his right hand; the gun now hung loosely in his fingers. Gladiolus kept his voice low and comforting, trying not to startle the obviously traumatized boy. "Hey, Prom? Prompto? You did good, there. But if it's alright with you, I'd like to take that gun now. Ok?"

Prompto nodded, still staring down at his hand. He made no move to hand it over, so Gladiolus reached down and gently plucked it from his fingers.

Still, the boy stared at his hand, seeming not to even have registered that the weight was gone. After a shuddering breath, he finally dropped his arm, and brought his violet blue eyes up to meet Gladiolus'. What the big man saw there nearly broke him in two; and reignited the need to hit something somewhere.

"Is he dead?" The boy's voice cracked and he quickly looked away wrapping his trembling arms around his little frame.

Gladiolus glanced over to where Ignis was begrudgingly assisting the man in stopping his bleeding. "He'll live." Then, trying to distract Prompto's mind from what had almost happened, he added: "Good shots, though. Where'd you learn to do that?"

Prompto chewed on his bottom lip, holding up his right arm again, glaring down at his hand. "I dunno; video games I guess." Then he frowned up at Gladiolus. "I don't feel so good."

"Yeah, I bet not, buddy. You had a lot to drink. And then…you know…everything… I'm sure that adrenaline burned a bunch of it up, but—"

He was cut off by a torrential onslaught of vomit coming from Prompto's suddenly hunched figure.

Cor found them a few minutes later, Prompto squatting on the ground near Ignis' car, the adviser leaning against the hood a safe distance away, and Gladiolus standing watch over downed men in the alley.

"Where the hell have you been?" The younger warrior grumbled to the man. Cor glared at him, a reprimand ready to fly from his lips. However, after one glance over to the two boys at the car, he let the remark go. Instead he said with no hint of humor:

"I got stuck in traffic."


	6. Chapter 6

see **Wow, so first, sorry for the huge delay. I was working overtime/driving my parents allover damned everywhere, so have neglected you guys. So, I made up for it with the extra longi-est of chapters ever! Literally more than twice the normal length, and to be honest I could have probably tinkered with it a lot more. Anywho, on with the story!**

It hadn't taken long for what seemed like the entirety of the Crownsguard to completely take over half the city block surrounding the little dive bar. While a few members began arresting the men in the alley, others were cordoning off the building itself and collecting statements from various patrons. Emergency services had been contacted once the situation had been assessed. Apparently there were quite a few people who needed medical attention.

Cor walked Gladiolus slowly back towards the other boys. Ignis had gotten Prompto up, and gave the blond some mints that he kept in his glove box to help with the nausea. They were now leaning against the car, murmuring softly. Ignis kept himself between Prompto and everyone else, shielding him from the curious gazes of a few onlookers. In the distance, the sirens of the ambulances that were making their way to the scene cut through the night like the melancholy refrain of a whippoorwill.

The shield stopped the marshal while they were still a good distance away, not wanting to overwhelm the blond. As they stood silently, neither wanting to be the first to talk, the emergency vehicles swung into the parking lot and deftly maneuvered to the knot of people.

"So are you going to tell me what this is all about? How did you know that he was going to be here; that this was going to happen?" Gladiolus couldn't stop the shake of anger from rattling through his tone.

Cor huffed and glared back towards where the boy's attackers were being attended to by EMTs, "We've been watching this place for a while; it's been one of the few locations that a string of assaults has been associated with. The victims were mostly young, mostly male. I was staking out the place a few days ago when I saw the prince's friend jog by. When he stopped and took a photo of the sign for the tournament, I just got a feeling that he was going to try for it."

Gladiolus snapped his head towards the marshal of the Crownsguard, his hands shooting forward to grip fistfuls of the older man's jacket. "So you used him? Like bait?"

"Of course not." Cor snapped, glaring into Gladiolus' enraged amber eyes until the younger man dropped his hold.

"Right. You just go ahead and tell yourself that." Gladiolus sneered.

It was Cor's turn to let out a little fury of his own. "The Crownsguard would never endanger the life of a citizen like that, much less one so closely associated with the prince! I didn't want him to get mixed up in this mess, which is why I told you to watch him. Good job you did, there, by the way."

Gladiolus nearly spit in his rage. "It's not like you gave me a lot to go on, Cor! How the fuck was I supposed to protect him if you weren't being straight with me?! At any time you could have shot me a message; 'Oh, hey, by the way Gladio, make sure Prompto doesn't get raped.' I mean, what the hell, man!"

The parking lot around them went deathly silent. Gladiolus cringed, having not realized how loud he was getting. He chanced a glance over to Ignis, who stared back at him with an expression that clearly called him three types of stupid.

Cor let out a breath, pulling Gladiolus' attention back to himself. "I had…other matters to attend to. Certain intelligence suggested that there was an attack planned against the Wall. Apparently the Nif's have built some sort of weapon…anyway, it doesn't matter right now. I should have let you know more. I should have had you just drag him out of there."

"Yeah, you should have. But then again I knew something was up and didn't do anything, either." His eyes tracked one of the uniformed EMTs as he ran over to where Ignis and Prompto stood. His face creased in a frown as the freckled boy flinched away from the approaching man, getting behind Ignis a little as the older teen held out an arm in front of him; an unconscious shielding of sorts that Gladiolus often used when people approached Noctis too quickly.

He and Cor fell into silence as they approached the group. Prompto removed himself from Ignis' shadow and attached himself to Gladiolus' instead, tentatively reaching out to-but not actually touching-the larger teen. He looked up at the warrior with pleading watery eyes. "Please don't let them...I, uhm…I just c-can't right now."

Gladiolus locked eyes with Ignis who shook his head. "Prompto;" the adviser's voice was low and soothing, but did not have the calming affect desired. Prompto skittered back and locked his eyes on the ground. Ignis tried again, even softer this time. "You know we can't just let your arm be dislocated. It's already had quite a bit of jostling. Please let the EMT help you."

Prompto just bit his lip and shook his head, stepping backwards a few paces. "I can't…no."

Gladiolus held up his right hand to stop further arguments from Ignis. He then slowly closed the gap between himself and the trembling teen. Tentatively, he reached forward and rested a hand on the boy's good shoulder. "Hey, look at me."

Sniffing hard, Prompto did as he asked, holding Gladiolus' steady gaze in his watery one.

Softly, in the tone he used when Iris came seeking comfort after nightmares, Gladiolus asked Prompto if he trusted him.

The boy took a moment to consider, then nodded once, his sweat soaked hair flopping into his eyes.

Gladiolus returned the nod and crouched down a little to grasp Prompto's limp left arm by the wrist. "I'm not going to lie to you. This is going to hurt like a son of a bitch. But right after it is going to feel a lot better, ok?"

Prompto nodded sharply, pursing his lips as his eyes remained locked on those of Gladiolus.

"Ok, stay relaxed. On the count of three, I am going to bend your arm at a 90 degree angle, and then pull it up and out by the elbow kind of like a chocobo flapping its wing, got it?"

Again Prompto responded with a bob of his head, this time closing his eyes and keeping his head down in anticipation.

"Ok, ready? One…" and before the number was even fully out of his mouth, Gladiolus grabbed his arm and snapped it up, eliciting a wet sort of popping sound from Prompto's shoulder. The blond bent double, screaming horrifically.

Gladiolus grimaced in sympathy, having had this very thing done for ( to? ) him many times throughout his training. He rubbed soothing circles in Prompto's back.

"You didn't …even…get to…two…you fucker." Prompto wheezed out between blinding flashes of pain.

"Sorry about that. Couldn't have you tensing up." Gladiolus helped him to straighten back to standing. "You ok?"

"No…no I don't think so." He whispered, gripping onto Gladiolus' sweater sleeve for dear life. He weaved with every step, still obviously extremely drunk. Gladiolus wondered how much of this he'd end up remembering the next day.

Cor approached the pair, holding out a hi-potion. "Here," he handed it to Gladiolus' trembling charge, who stared at the marshal in confusion.

"It'll make you feel better. Heal up some of those cuts and bruises." Cor shared a look with Gladiolus; both knowing that it wouldn't heal any of the non physical damage done. Prompto said nothing; he drank the contents of the bottle, grimacing at the taste and the odd tingle that tore through his body like an electric charge. But, he did have to admit, most of the louder hurts did fade away.

Gladiolus laid his arm comfortingly across the boy's shoulder and started leading him to the car where Ignis was waiting with the backdoor open. "C'mon, let's get you out of here."

"No arguments here." Prompto gingerly climbed into the back and settled himself into the plush leather interior. The older teens stood outside the car a few moments, speaking low with Cor before piling into the car.

As they pulled away, Prompto stared into the glass front windows of the bar where members of the Crownsguard were rounding up various patrons for questioning.

A dark coil of self loathing settled in his belly. He'd been doing so well. But there was no way now that he'd be getting the gil from the tournament, which meant he also lost his entry fee. He'd been beaten, almost….violated…and on top of everything, he'd made Noctis' friends have to come to his rescue. Once they reported back to Noctis—or more specifically his father—what happened here tonight, he doubted that he'd be allowed within 100 feet of his only friend any longer. They'd probably even kick him out of school since he was just a lottery kid, and Noctis was the fucking prince. He was so stupid. He'd lost everything...

Somewhere through the haze, Ignis' voice floated back to him, asking him if they should call his parents.

In the back seat, as the lights from the street lamps flashed across his features, Prompto began to cry.


	7. chapter 7

Ignis didn't really have a plan when they got into the car. He'd just headed in the general direction of the citadel, since that was the place to which he was most used to driving. "Should we call your parents to let them know what happened?"

He was answered only by soft sniffles.

"It's late;" he tried again, "I'm sure they are quite worried about you. We may not wish to alarm them further by delivering you to them in such a state without warning."

The quiet sobs from the backseat triggered Ignis' proper upbringing, and he pulled a small box of tissues from the center console, bending his arm awkwardly as he handed them to Prompto. His stomach twisted in sympathy as the boy gingerly took the box and then began to cry in earnest.

Ignis let him vent his emotions for a few moments before clearing his throat.

Prompto's breath hitched, his shoulders slumping even further. "They…they're out of t-town. Can't be w-worried if they're not home…." He was obviously trying to control the volume of his voice, but the last few words came out broken and were soon followed by another fit of sobs.

Ignis could have smacked himself. Of course they weren't in town. No wonder the boy was able to be out this late to sneak into a bar in the first place. He made a mental note to review this information with the king when he made his report to him regarding the events of the evening; he was not looking forward to the debriefing.

"Iggy—" Gladiolus' voice was low as he glanced back at the distressed teen. "We can't just take him home like this. Especially if his parents aren't there. I mean, look at 'im. He's wasted. We can't leave him alone."

Prompto almost pulled off looking offended. "Why you keep saying that? I'm not way-wasted. I only had tea, I promise!" The loud hiccup that followed the statement did nothing to prove its validity. "Dammit, I feel awful, though."

"That's because you're drunk." Ignis stated under his breath as he signaled his left turn.

Gladiolus twisted around in his seat. "And just how many of those 'teas' did you have?"

Prompto lolled his head from side to side, sniffing loudly. "I dunno, like four, no five, I think. Maybe. It was like every time I uhm, every time I went back to the ta-table there was a new one there."

"Four or five? Longwythe ice teas are almost pure alcohol. How in the hell is your scrawny ass still standing?" Gladiolus frowned at the freckled youth from his contorted vantage point.

Prompto's eyes went wide in panic for a second, darting around the interior of the car. Relief flooded his face as he realized he was not, in fact, standing. He said as much, but he went ignored by the older teens and he let his head rest back against the seat, closing his eyes.

Ignis checked on Prompto in the rearview mirror. His blond hair was wet with sweat and half plastered to his forehead. Dried blood and vomit was spattered across his chin, neck, and shirt. "Hmm perhaps you're right. What do you suggest?"

"Iris is at a sleepover and dad is at the citadel. We can take him to my house, get him cleaned up, maybe put some food in him. Ah, talk to him, I guess."

Ignis side-eyed him, indignant on Prompto's behalf at the words Gladiolus chose to use. But, taking in the uncomfortable concern mixed with residual anger on the shield's face, he let those feelings recede.

The soft sniffles in the backseat came to an abrupt stop. "You have GOT to be KIIIDDING me!" Prompto wailed to the roof of the car. "Pull over—" the next words were lost in a dry heave and Ignis immediately obliged, flipping on his hazard lights as he angled onto the shoulder. Prompto fumbled with the latch and leaned out, heaving his insides out on the road. "Oh gods—" he moaned as he leaned his head against his arm, head positioned over the asphalt. "Is this...? Siiiix, there's mooore. How can there be mo-more?" He retched violently; pretty sure that he recognized remnants from last night's rice-fried-rice with a side of rice dinner. The thought did not go over well with his stomach, which rebelled yet again.

Shaking, sweating, and relatively certain he'd thrown up half his liver and part of his heart, Prompto leaned back into the supple leather of the backseat again, taking the water bottle that Gladiolus wordlessly handed to him. The nine fluid ounces were deceptively heavy, and he had a hard time holding the bottle to his lips. He swished around a few gulps, spitting it out the door before closing it again.

"Are you sure you're quite done?" Ignis tried to sound sympathetic, he really did. But the stench was getting to him and he was already tallying up the expense of having the car deeply cleaned. Prompto didn't seem to notice any tone, however, and just nodded.

After they got to moving again, Prompto laid out on the backseat, gripping his stomach with his sore arm, and covering his face with the other. "Is…is this what drunk is?" He asked no one in particular. When no answer was immediately forthcoming, he sighed hard. "If his is what drunk is, I don't like it!"

Gladiolus roared with laughter while Ignis just smirked.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Prompto squinted at himself in the mirror, trying to bring his features into focus. He was a mess, literally and figuratively. He puffed out his cheeks as he slowly exhaled, ignoring the stinging pain when the action tugged on his swollen bottom lip. He still didn't feel altogether ok; had in fact vomited again after Gladiolus practically shoved him into his personal bathroom. (somewhere in the back of his alcohol and trauma rattled mind, some small plebe part of him remembered to be impressed for a moment that Gladiolus had his own bathroom, which was easily twice the size of Prompto's bedroom)

But he did feel safer. He hadn't felt this kind of safety in a while, if he was being honest with himself. With his parents away…

He jumped a little when Gladiolus came back in to set a stack of clothes on the pristine marble counter. "These are some old things from when I was like ten or something. They should fit you." He smirked at the evil look that Prompto shot him from between strands of sweat soaked bangs.

"If they're too big, I could always get something of Iris'…" The larger teen snickered and shuffled backwards out the door when the younger boy attempted to throw the towel he was using to mop up his stray splatters of spittle at him.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Gladiolus stopped in the doorway to the kitchen to watch Ignis for a few moments. The slighter teen was standing on his tip-toes, rummaging through the cabinets above the stove. His shoulders and back were tense with stress, and his hands shook lightly as he pulled a large bottle of oil and a canister of flour down to set them on the counter.

"Iris has a stepladder around here, somewhere." Gladiolus cleared his throat as he ambled into the room and took a heavy seat at the table.

Ignis paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and getting his posture back under control.

This was something that Gladiolus both admired and hated in his friend; this ability to maintain an aloof and controlled exterior no matter what was going on or what he was feeling. But, a quick scan of the ingredients on the counter told volumes to anyone who knew the young adviser.

Ignis was making a pie. Scratch that; two pies.

Ignis only baked when he was upset or if he didn't know what else to do to help someone else who was upset themselves. The fact that there were two told him that it was probably both.

Ignis did not meet his friend's gaze as he gently pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Ah, there you are, Gladio. Do you by chance have any nutmeg?"

"If it's not in that cabinet, we probably don't have it. Iris does most of the cooking so I'm not really sure what all she's got up there."

Ignis nodded and reached back into the cabinet. "Well I suppose cinnamon will have to do." He set the spice in question among his other ingredients, and then wrote "nutmeg" on Iris' shopping list that hung on the refrigerator.

"How you holding up there, Iggy?"

A brief pause in his slicing of a stalk of what appeared to be red celery was the only betrayal of his nerves. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"

Gladiolus pressed his lips together, not missing the fact that his friend still hadn't looked at him. "Well, I mean you did just rescue Prompto. Good job, by the way—you kicked some serious ass. I'm proud of you."

Ignis turned his back and started mixing his dry ingredients in a large glass bowl. "Well, they were rather inebriated and inexperienced, but in my—" he floundered for a moment before deciding to call it exactly what it was; "In my rage I let my defenses down and allowed things to get beyond my control. I should have ensured that man was no longer a threat before moving on. If you had not arrived when you did…"

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. Fighting in the real world is a lot different than sparring or practice." Gladiolus finally caught his friend's gaze and noted that his eyes were red and watery, making the sea green shade seem almost luminescent. "Not to mention what you had to have seen; it's not like this was a normal situation or a run of the mill bar fight. I mean, they were going to—"

Ignis slammed the knife down on the counter, cutting off Gladiolus' next words. He looked away again, this time retrieving a colander full of rinsed strawberries from the sink before beginning again in his controlled tone. "Nevertheless, I felt inadequate and it makes me concerned for my ability to protect others in high stress situations."

"That's something we can work on." Gladiolus offered. He was quiet a moment, before smiling mischievously at his friend. "And maybe you can teach me how to not stick my foot in my mouth."

"Sounds like a fair trade." Ignis smiled, then sliced his berries in silence for a while. After he got a rythym, he said, almost too quietly for the warrior to hear; "I've been unfair to that boy."

"Yeah, maybe." Gladiolus began peeling an orange from the fruit bowl that Iris always kept well stocked. "But, you're just doing your job. Kid's kinda suspicious and secretive. It's not like other shitty kids haven't tried to befriend Noct before, looking for fame or a free ride. How are we supposed to know he's not any different?"

"Still, I believe an apology may be in order. I hope he will forgive me."

"I'm sure he will. For all his faults, the kid does seem to be pretty sweet. Plus, you're just so damn lovable, Ignis. Who could ever stay mad at you?"

Ignis shot his friend a small smile and went back to concentrating fully on the task at hand. They drifted into a mutual silence, each lost in their own thoughts for quite some time.

XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV

Prompto had taken a long hot shower and was now standing with a towel loosely draped around his waist. His legs and hands trembled, and he was currently trying to believe it was all from the alcohol. That the sick feeling in his stomach was not a side effect of the ghostly touches he still felt across his chest, not a reaction to the words still echoing in his mind, or the pressure he still felt against his back and—

He startled so bad at the sudden banging on the door that he had to grasp the towel rod to keep himself upright.

"Hey, you ok in there, kid? Iggy's getting worried." Gladiolus' gruff voice held a note of amusement, but the underlying concern was palpable.

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, I'll be out in a minute."

Gladiolus grunted out something he didn't quite understand and padded away.

He quickly dressed in the black sweat pants and tee shirt that was left for him; rolling up the cuffs of the pants to keep them from dragging under his feet as he walked. At least the tee shirt mostly fit, though he had to adjust the collar a few times to make sure to hide the bruising creeping up his left shoulder.

He really hoped that Gladiolus was joking when he said these were his clothes from when he was ten.

Finally stepping out of the wet warmth of the bathroom, he breathed a sigh of relief to see no one waiting on him on the other side of the door. He still felt…exposed he supposed. Idly he wondered if that feeling would ever leave him. Spotting a dark green zip-up hoodie among the discarded clothing on Gladiolus' bed, he snatched it up and shimmied it on, bunching the sleeves up on his wrists. He resisted the urge to pull the hood up as well, figuring that he already looked weird enough and did not want to give the other teens reason to worry. (or make fun of him)

Not really being familiar with the Amicitia residence, he was forced to follow his nose to the kitchen. There was a tart and sweet aroma to the air that tantalized his stomach and made it lurch again in the process.

He definitely did not like drunk.

He finally made it to the warmly lit room where the other two teens were having a quiet conversation at a small dining table. He didn't look either of them in the eye; opting instead to stare at the lower right corner of the refrigerator.

"How are you feeling Prompto?" Ignis' voice was soft and calm; much closer to the timbre Prompto was comfortable associating him with. It set his mind more at ease to not hear the note of panic the normally soothing voice had held earlier. He darted up a glance at the bespectacled teen, meeting his green gaze for a second before looking away. This time he studied a scuff on the bottom left leg of one of the empty chairs.

"Uh, I'm ok I guess. I mean, if you want to take me home now, we can go. Or, I could walk, you know, if it's too much trouble."

"Why don't you sit down?" Ignis asked gently as Gladiolus pushed out the chair that Prompto was staring at. The boy ducked his head in acknowledgment and quickly took his seat, scooting up to the table and resting his hands on top. He trained his gaze on the knuckle of his right middle finger.

Ignis took a long sip of what Prompto assumed to be coffee before beginning. "I think we need to talk about—"

"I-I know what you're going to say, and you're right. I shouldn't hang around Noct, ay, uhm Prince Noctis anymore. I'm no good for him, right?" Prompto bunched his hands into fists and the prickling at the back of his eyes alerted him that he was probably going to cry. Again.

Silence thundered around him, broken only by his sudden dry sob.

"I get it. I knew it w-would only be a matter of time be-before you'd all figure it out and this would end. You'd see me for what I am and treat me accordingly. Just like everyone else." A feather light touch on his hand had him snatching his arm back to his chest as if burned. He shook his head violently, refusing to be comforted by these people who were about to take away his only friend. "I know I'm nothing but trouble. I c-can't do anything right. You see it, my parents see it, hell even Noct probably sees it but is too nice to say anyth-thing." He sucked in a few deep shuddering breaths, and when one of the others tried to speak—he wasn't sure which one—he drew the hood up to hide beneath, tucking his chin against his heaving chest. When he next spoke, his voice was small; broken. "I was just really hoping we could be friends longer. I really liked hanging around him, you know?"

"Hey, kid, what're you going on about?" Gladiolus reached a tentative hand forward to lie comfortingly on the boy's trembling shoulder. Prompto stiffened for a moment, but did not jerk away. Taking that as a sign of encouragement, the larger teen rubbed his hand up and down the boy's arm for a moment.

He spoke quietly, voice already muffled by the hood. "I'm so stupid. You know, I try so hard! I j-just wanna be a good friend, and everything I do is to try and prove that I'm worth his time." He buried his head into his arms on the table and Gladiolus shot Ignis a panicked expression, not at all knowing how to proceed.

Ignis' mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, but he was rescued by the ding of the oven, letting him know his pies were done. He shrugged one shoulder at Gladiolus and got up to attend to the desserts.

Prompto sniffed hard and continued. "Noct is the on-only friend I've ever had. When we first started hanging out, I couldn't believe it; here this super awesome guy was willing to hang around a nobody like me, and now I've gone and fucked it all to hell!" He wiped angrily at the tears that slid from his eyes, knocking the hood back off in the process. He tried grabbing at it, but the damned thing kept slipping out of is stupid fingers so he just let it flop back down.

Gladiolus cleared his throat, withdrawing his hand from the boy's shoulder. "Ok, so tell us what tonight was all about. Why would you do something so stupid—" an indignant noise and steely glance from Ignis across the counter had him correcting his word choice— "why would you do something so unsafe as to sneak into a shitty dive bar like that? What were you thinking?"

Prompto floundered for a moment, leaning back in his chair and ran his right hand through his hair, staring at the bowl of fruit on the table. He decided to go with a half truth. "I'm broke, ok? My parents—they don't really make much and things have been tight. Especially lately. And, Noct is always always paying for things and I don't want him to think that's what I wanna be his friend for, you know? I know my place. I mean, he's the prince, he could hang out with any number of noble kids who wouldn't be a burden on him. I have n-nothing to offer him and I honestly don't even know why he bothers with someone so insignificant—"

"Hey!" The word came out much more loud and harsh than he originally intended, but Gladiolus had always had trouble controlling his temper when he was exasperated. And the stuff that this poor kid was saying was actually kind of breaking his heart, which just pissed him off.

Prompto was startled into meeting his eyes and he snapped his mouth shut. Gladiolus punctuated his next words with a heavy thump of his fist upon the table. "You will stop that now. You're a good kid. You're funny and nice and as far as I can tell His Moodiness thinks the world of you."

Ignis, who had set his pies to cool, joined them back at the table. He took a long sip of his coffee, nodding along with Gladiolus. "Yes, I would have to agree that Noct is quite fond of you. If anything, he seems worried about your…eating habits."

Prompto's face scrunched up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

It was Ignis' turn to look uncomfortable, and he looked to Gladiolus for help. The glare the larger teen returned told him quite plainly that no ding of the oven was going to save him this time. "He, ah, well Noctis seems to think you have a…disorder of some sort?"

Prompto blanched for a second. He almost told them right then and there; he almost let slip that his parents had been out of town for much longer than usual and that what Noctis thought was an eating disorder was actually him just not being able to afford to feed himself. Instead he just bit his lip and shook his head. "No, I love food. I just, you know, can't afford to eat out so, I uh, take my lunch and have dinner at home and stuff."

Ignis nodded along, draining his coffee. It made sense now that he looked back at it. Most of Prompto's concerning actions over the last few months could easily be explained by what he was saying.

It was at that moment that Ignis knew that Gladiolus and King Regis were right. He was jealous of Prompto. As he stared at the trembling boy before him, a kid who so obviously needed a friend, Ignis began to feel shame. He had judged Prompto harshly. But, he could make it right.

"Right, well I suppose that is settled. I will talk to his majesty about the misunderstanding in regards to your eating habits. And, please rest assured that there is no reason for you to feel guilty about Noctis spending money on your outings. A few burgers and some game tokens are in no way going to drain the crown's coffers. And, I have it on good authority that the king his more than happy to have his son associate with you." He gave the boy what he hoped was a warm smile and stood from the table again. "Now, how about some pie?"

Without waiting for an answer, Ignis turned to start rummaging for plates in a cabinet.

"Hey," Gladiolus poked a rather stunned Prompto on his arm to get his attention. "Give me your phone."

"What? Why?" He dug the device out of the hoodie's pocket. Gladiolus just shook his head and pulled it from his grasp, waking it up and starting to wordlessly tap at the screen.

A moment later, Ignis was at his other side, holding out two plates. "Chocolate mousse or strawberry rhubarb?"

Prompto lifted one eyebrow at the adviser. "Strawberry what now?"

Ignis sighed in slight frustration. "Rhubarb. It is a vegetable similar to celery—"

Prompto waved a hand at him to get him to stop. "Say no more!" He grabbed the plate with the chocolate pie and set it in front of himself. "Noctis warned me you were always trying to hide vegetables in stuff, but in dessert? That's just blasphemy."

"He's got you there, Specs." Gladiolus grinned at the adviser over Prompto's phone and Ignis frowned at him, pointedly laying the strawberry rhubarb pie in front of the warrior while going to collect a slice of chocolate for himself.

When he sat back down, he pursed his lips as he regarded Prompto, who had yet to take a bite of his dessert.

The freckled boy shot him a glance before going back to staring at his plate. "Why are you being so nice to me, Iggy?" Prompto scraped his fork through a trail of chocolate, dragging four streaks across the white plate.

Gladiolus snorted from his seat. "What do you mean? Ignis is always nice to everyone. It's like his thing."

"S'not true. Iggy's just not rude to people. There's a difference." He finally took a bite of the pie, making a satisfied grunt as he chewed it slowly. "I mean, I'm not blind. I can see you don't like me."

Gladiolus laughed and shook his head while he still studied Prompto's phone, grousing quietly about how slow it was even though he had hooked it up to his wifi.

"Hmm, yes, well I suppose that is not altogether untrue. But, I do not feel that way any longer. I do apologize if I have ever made you uncomfortable, and will do my best to refrain from doing so in the future."

Prompto glanced over to Gladiolus who smiled. "That's Ignis for 'sorry, I like you now, and hope you stick around'. He's not good with talking about his feelings without using fancy words."

"Wait, you mean—"

"I mean that in light of this situation, I will no longer try to keep the prince from associating with you. I may even encourage it. So long as you do not do stupid things like this in the future. Prompto, you have to know what you did was unconscionable. You put yourself in a large amount of danger. Those men were planning on doing serious harm to you, do you understand that? They had no qualms in regards to your age or level of intoxication."

Prompto nodded, the bite of pie he was working on suddenly losing its taste. He knew very well what those men were planning; had it lain out for him in great detail by the man who held him while the others fought. He swallowed hard and placed his fork on the plate, slowly pushing the half eaten slice away from himself.

Ignis reached out slowly and laid his hand on top of Prompto's, waiting for the younger boy to meet his gaze before continuing. "And I want to thank you. I don't know how you did it, but you quite possibly saved our lives with your quick reflexes."

Prompto finally smiled and glanced away shyly. "I'm not really sure how I did it, either. I just saw him coming behind you with the knife and my body just…" He waved his hand in the air dismissively. "But, I mean, to be honest, I was aiming at his head. Without my glasses—"

Gladiolus choked on his piece of pie for a second, alarming Ignis enough to come and slap his back roughly. When he was done, red faced and glaring, he pointed a finger at the younger boy. "YOU. You are not to touch another weapon without training. Got me?"

Prompto nodded but smiled innocently. "Even if it's to save your ass?"

"Especially if it's to save my ass."

Prompto nodded and pulled his own piece of pie back to him. "You got it, big guy."

Ignis settled back into his seat and started working on his piece again. Gladiolus slid Prompto's phone back over to him, a new app running.

"So," he said gruffly, scooting his chair closer, "this is a jogging pal type thing. You activate it when you are about to go for a run, ok? And it alerts your friends where you are planning on going and how long you'll be gone and all that. It will let us know when you get home, too. But, I want you to promise me you won't go jogging through that neighborhood again anyway, got it? What happened to you at the bar was an act of opportunity, not accident. The bartender admitted that he'd been watching you for a while. And I doubt he's the only one. So….yeah. Stay out of that neighborhood, understand?"

Prompto shuddered a little and nodded, picking his phone up and studying the app. "Yeah, I wasn't really planning on going back through there any time soon, anyway."

"And," Gladiolus continued, reaching over and pressing another button on the display, bringing up Prompto's contacts, "Noctis isn't your only friend, you know. You got me and Iggy, now. You need anything, you call one of us."

Prompto didn't say a word as his eyes filled again. He just nodded and clutched the phone to his chest, letting the tears of gratitude slide down his cheeks.

He had friends.


	8. chapter 8

They moved into the living room when they were done with their pie and talked long into the night. The next morning, Ignis found Prompto where they'd left him on the couch, limbs and head fully tucked inside of Gladiolus' old hoodie. He'd made them all pancakes and bacon, and the three shared a companionable breakfast before he and Prompto loaded up in the car.  
The drive was quiet, Prompto working on quite the hangover and Ignis not wanting to make it worse. The blond chewed his bottom lip as he watched the scenery fly by. He was having an internal debate. Though currently full of Ignis' cooking, he was concerned about where his next meal was going to come from. He'd lost nearly all his money; right now had maybe enough to buy a dozen eggs and a few cup noodles and that was not going to last him.  
Maybe…maybe he could ask Ignis for a small loan. Just until his parents came home and they got the budget straightened back out.  
If his parents came back…

 _Prompto hummed to himself as he got ready for school. He was excited; ever since the other day when he'd finally worked up the nerve to talk to Noctis, they'd spent all their breaks between classes joking and talking, and the prince even sat with him at lunch. He'd been so happy to tell his parents last night about his new friend._

 _He frowned a little, thinking back to it. His parents had seemed pleased at first, but they quickly changed their tune when he revealed just who his new friend was. His mother had even gone so far as to tell him not to bother Noctis, that the prince had more important things to do than to waste his time with someone like Prompto. His dad nodded his agreement, citing their class difference; how would it look to the public for the prince to be seen with a plebe?_

 _But, for once, he didn't care what they thought. He was going to continue being Noctis' friend for as long as the prince would have him.  
When he was dressed, he headed down the hall to his parent's room, humming quietly to himself. His dad was getting ready to go on a long job fixing a large section of the monorail, and he wanted to be sure to say goodbye to him before he left. He slowed down as he approached the door; he could hear them talking and he didn't want to interrupt them. They got so little time to spend together that Prompto didn't like to intrude on their more private moments._

 _He was just turning away when he heard his name. That's when he noticed the elevated voices. They weren't talking; they were fighting.  
About him. _

_Prompto so rarely saw both his parents at once that he particularly hated it when they fought. Sometimes he wondered if they took the particular jobs they had in an effort to spend less time with each other._

 _Sometimes he worried it was specifically to spend less time with him._

 _It depended on the day, really._

 _Anyway, he stopped his humming and crept forward, listening. His mother's voice was quiet rage on the other side of their flimsy door.  
"…you know, I was ok with taking him in when I thought he was just some poor refugee Nif. I was fine with that. But I always wondered about the codeprint. None of the other refugees had them. And then I saw it on one of those…those things!"_

 _A lower voice now; his father—defeated but still defensive. Somewhat. "He's just a boy. He doesn't even know what he is. He's still our son—"  
"That thing is not our son! I never did feel like a mother to it, and now I know why!" She ripped the door open taking two steps out before she saw Prompto. She glared at him for a moment, then continued down the hall, brushing past him and down the stairs, slamming the front door on her way out._

 _Prompto's lips trembled. His mother had always been distant, but she'd never been cruel. His eyes shot down to his wrist, left hand going to cover it tightly. "What is she talking about, Dad? W-what am I?"  
His father's bottom lip tucked up and he wiped a hand across his face. "Never mind what she said. I will talk to her. And as for what you are…you're our son." The elder Argentum had tried to hug him then, but Prompto had just shook his head and ran down the steps, out the door, down the street. He didn't stop until he reached the school. _

_That morning in homeroom, Noctis asked him if he wanted to go to the arcade after school. This was only three days after Prompto had first approached him. He quickly agreed, not wanting to go home.  
But, eventually, he had to leave the arcade and the elation of his possible budding friendship to go back home. He wasn't surprised that his parents had both left for work trips with little more than a note._

They were just pulling onto Prompto's street, now. Soon he'd have to enter his empty home and figure out what to do next. He had to do it; even if it meant putting an undue burden on his new found friendship with Ignis, he had to ask. He just couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't—  
"I would like to apologize again." Ignis' soft voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to the adviser, a refusal of the apology on his lips, but the older teen just shook his head.  
He ran a hand through his sandy hair and sighed. "I have been thinking quite a lot over the last few hours, and I have come to the conclusion that I have been….jealous of you."  
"What? Why?" Prompto's voice was an embarrassing squeak.  
Ignis pulled into the driveway and put the car in park, turning to the younger boy. "I suppose it's because Noctis sees you as a friend. Someone that he can confide in. Someone that he can have fun with.  
"Though I have been at his side since we were both small, Noctis has always had his reservations about my intentions. When we were much younger, it seemed we were… closer. Though I was still more or less his caretaker, there to advise him and keep him out of trouble; we had many grand adventures and shared a lot of laughter. But, the older we become, the more distant we seem to drift. Though he understands that I care for him deeply, he also knows the truth of things. And that is, I am here to guide him into being a good king. I have to ensure that he's making the proper connections and having the proper experiences. I have to keep him on task and on schedule. I have to—" he cut himself off, there, knowing that he was in danger of babbling if he continued on this tangent.  
"And now there's you. Our routine has been disrupted. Noctis has been shirking his responsibilities and skipping his lessons in favor of spending more time with you."  
Blood rushed to Prompto's cheeks and he began to stutter out an apology, but Ignis raised his hand to stop him. "It is quite alright. Though at first I believed that you were a bad influence, I now am able to see what everyone else sees; what even the king himself tried to tell me. Noctis has been…so much happier since you two have become friends. His self-imposed isolation seems to have dissipated. You have given him something that I long ago ceased to be able to provide. A friend. A real, true friend. And so, I would like to thank you for that."  
He smiled at Prompto then; a genuine curl to his lips that reached up and lit his green eyes. It was a smile of such earnest appreciation that all thoughts left Prompto's mind. He launched himself into Ignis, paying no mind to the center console or gearshift between them; he buried his head into Ignis' chest and gripped him tight. After a moment of stiffness, the older teen returned his hug and gently ran his hands up and down the boy's back.  
A moment later, they separated, and Ignis cleared his throat as he straightened his glasses. "Ahem, yes, well, off with you. Don't forget that Gladiolus expects you to call him later to set up a time for self-defense training."  
From the passenger seat, the freckled boy spoke up almost shyly. "So, uh, I know it's a long shot, but could we maybe not tell Noct about any of this?"  
Ignis stared out the window thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I can do that, Prompto. The Crownsguard were involved; a report will be made to the king." He cringed a little as he admitted: "I've already received word that I am to have an audience with his royal highness this afternoon."  
Ignis bit the inside of his cheek, wanting nothing more than to comfort the young man who looked both depressed and mortified. He sighed. "But, I will ask King Regis to keep the details to himself, and I promise that I will personally make no mention to Noctis of the events. That is all I can say for certain."  
Prompto grinned at him and thanked him again for everything they'd done. He waved as the car pulled down the driveway and back the way they'd come.  
It was not until the car was out of sight that he realized he'd forgotten to ask for help. Part of him was relieved, as he did not want to be a burden. The other part was already becoming hungry again and reminded him that he had very little to work with.  
When he let himself in and called out his usual "I'm home!" he was quite surprised to get an answer.  
His father appeared at the top of the stairs, a look of concern on his face. "Where have you been? I have been calling your phone all morning! I got a call from Cor Leonis—" the words were cut off as Prompto bounded up the stairs and hugged him tightly. The older man hesitated for a moment, before hugging him back, resting his chin upon his son's head.  
"I thought you weren't coming back," the boy whispered into his father's chest.  
The older man squeezed him harder. He puffed out a hot breath into his son's soft hair, blinking at the sudden water in his eyes. "Of course I was coming back. The job just took longer is all. I'm so sorry—I didn't have any service on my phone way out there. It was last night before I had traveled back into an area with service, and I was immediately called by the Crownsguard marshal. I'm so sorry; I didn't know you needed me."  
"But what about what mom said last time—"  
That's when the older Argentum released his hold, resting his hands on the boy's shoulders. "She didn't mean it. You know how she is." His father said, pulling him into another hug.  
"I did it again, didn't I buddy?" Prompto nodded against his chest and told him it was ok. Everything was ok.  
Just like last time, his father made sure to spend the day with him. No further mention of the call from the marshal of the Crownsguard was made. They didn't talk about where Prompto had spent the night or what had happened to make him simultaneously jumpy and clingy. He took Prompto to lunch and a movie and they went to the grocery together to restock the house.  
By the time Prompto woke for school on that Monday morning, he was alone again. But it was ok. Prompto had friends now.  
XVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXV  
The silence was heavy around the table. Through the story, they had all switched to beer, and Noctis was currently sliding one of the empty glasses back and forth between his hands, like a cat with a ball of string. It was greatly wearing on Ignis' nerves.  
"Man, you literally never told me any of this. None of you." The prince shot exaggerated accusatory glances around the table.  
Gladiolus laughed at the face, which caused a chain reaction and suddenly they were all giggling again. "Yeah, I bet Iggy 100 gil he wouldn't be able to keep it to himself. And he didn't, so pay up, smart man!"  
Ignis glared at him. "I believe my covering the tab on this little outing will more than pay that bet."  
Gladiolus just laughed harder.  
"So, uh, jusht to be uhm Claire, haha no not Claire clear, haha, so um we are not entering the…the trounderment?" Prompto grinned and covered his face as his friends all started pelting him with wadded up napkins and the crusty bits of their long cold half-eaten appetizer.  
While Ignis paid the tab, the other three spilled out of the bar and into the still bustling night. Gladiolus corralled them off to the side to wait for the adviser, but was seriously considering going to drop them off the lookout because the two kept laughing and shoving one another.  
It would be easy, Iggy'd never know…  
But, alas, the adviser stumbled out the door, straightening his suspenders and trying to look sober. "Well, I think it's high time we went back to the hotel, shall we?" He over pronounced all his words in an effort to not slur them.  
The younger boys were whispering conspiratorially between themselves, shooting the older men glances while they giggled. Ignis frowned at their antics and cleared his throat loudly.  
"I believe it is time to go." He raised one eyebrow at them with his classic 'Iggy isn't messing around' look.  
The boys waved to him and quickly pumped their fists three times; Noctis threw rock while Prompto threw scissors and groaned. Then, without further warning, Noctis yelled "I got Gladdy!" and proceeded to take a running leap at the larger man, landing on his back, throwing his arms around his broad shoulders. He squeezed his legs together and shouted "Yah, chocobo! This is a race! Come on!"  
Gladiolus laughed, but was more than willing to comply, grasping Noctis behind his knees to stabilize him. He took off in a slow and uncoordinated run in the general direction of the hotel.  
Ignis sighed as he watched them go. Turning to Prompto, he shook his head at the pleading eyes of the boy. "Well come on, then, we can't let them win."  
"Alriiiiight! I knew you loved me!"  
He leapt onto the advisers back and they quickly followed the weaving path of Gladiolus and Noctis. Ignis may or may not have stuck out a foot to trip the pair as they passed, and it's a possibility that he kicked the door shut in their faces as he and his rider crossed the threshold. But one thing is for sure; he and Prompto won the race.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, sorry for the long time in updating. I know I said the last chapter was the last, but upon receiving some feedback, I decided to write an epilogue. For those of you who have already read the story, I do want to advise the chapters were restructured as well, and some things were added and taken away. You don't have to reread it, but I won't stop you if you want to :) The epilogue should about do it for you. I should be publishing my next story in the next few days. See you then! Anywho, on with the story!**

Once they had settled in the hotel room, Gladiolus and Ignis decided to share the larger bed and let the other two to their own drunken devices. Those mainly included talking whispered shit to each other over a few rounds of King's Knight. Once they were ready for bed themselves, Prompto switched off the bedside lamp and crawled under the blankets, leaving Noctis to find his way around the room by the light of his phone.

Having had plenty of sleepovers over the years, they were comfortable sharing a bed. Prompto giggled when Noctis lumbered over the top of him and shimmied beneath the blankets. The prince immediately curled into his best friend's side, slinging an arm over the blond's stomach. Noctis snuggled into his shoulder, and when he next spoke his breath was warm and beer-scented against Prompto's ear.

"Why didn't you tell me, way back then?" His voice was warm and sad, and there was a sudden prickling at the back of Prompto's eyes at the tone of it.

"I dunno, I mean, it's not something I wanted to relive; and honestly a lot of it was just a blur by the next day—"

"No," Noctis shushed him. "No, I mean, you know….your parents? I would have gotten you anything you needed, you know that, right? Why were you willing to put yourself through all that; let yourself starve?"

Prompto pursed his lips as he stared at the darkened ceiling, his hand trailing up to gently clasp the arm Noctis had flopped over his belly, his thumb slowly caressing back and forth. He exhaled deeply through his nose. "Nooooct… you wouldn't understand."

The prince leaned up on one elbow, peering at his friend, the hand against Prompto's ribs tightening, as if he wished to pull him closer, but really, how much closer could they get? "Try me," he nearly growled, his blue irises flashing red in the shadows.

They stared into each other's eyes until Prompto pulled Noctis back down to lay on his shoulder again. The contact was nice…comforting.

"When we were little, I was so lonely. My parents…well… you know. They weren't around much. That began long before I'd even tried to talk to you. You know how many kids invited me to go with them to the arcade, or a movie, or even to sit with them at lunch before you? Exactly zero. I mean, I was real shy, so a lot of it was my fault; anytime I tried to talk to anyone, I was so awkward."

He laughed softly when Noctis muttered he was still awkward into his shoulder.

"So, anyway, when we were just getting to be friends, I didn't want to screw that up. I wanted you to _want_ to be around me. I figured if you thought I was a burden-"

"Not a burden." Was groused into his chest as Noctis shifted position.

"Heheh, yeah buddy, I get that now. I do. Most of the time….but back then I would have done anything to make sure you never had a reason to ditch me. So, I didn't tell you about my parents. I didn't tell you about school bullies. I didn't tell you about anything that might bring you down. You were…ARE so important to me. I—I can't imagine a life without you."

And the truth is, he added to himself, he still did that. He still tried to be a spot of sunshine in Noctis' life. He still kept secrets from him.

Prompto fell silent, trying to match his breaths to those of his friend. When he'd been telling his parts of the story, he had left out certain details; the ones about his mother referring to him as an it. A thing. Something less than human. He still didn't really know what she meant by that. They had never discussed it; never spoke of that day again, in fact. He'd asked about his codeprint many times as a child, but never again after that day. He just kept it covered as his parents had always insisted, and tried to forget about it.

He closed his eyes, figuring his soft voice and gentle ministrations had lulled his friend to sleep, but just as he was drifting off, Noctis spoke again.

"I was afraid to lose you, too. Still am." Noctis whispered into the room, tightening his grip on his friend again. "I was always afraid that…that you wouldn't want to hang around me after a while. Being the prince took up a lot of time. And, it made you a target. Still does. Prompto…you've been through so much in your life, and a lot of that is directly caused by associating with me. I'm so sorry. I should have been there more for you. I should have—"

"Aaahh, Noct. I wouldn't trade this, any of it, for the world." He laughed to himself humorlessly. "Well, maybe if it would have stopped the fall of Insomnia or something, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. And, thank you. I don't know how you do it, but you keep me going. I'd be lost without you. I mean, Iggy and Gladdy are important, too, and I love them and all that. But you. You're like—" Noctis trailed off when Prompto puffed a soft snore into his hair.

"You're asleep." He finished, and he smiled to himself as he nuzzled in deeper, pulled Prompto closer, drew the blankets up more snugly about them, and joined his friends in sleep.


End file.
